


Everlasting dissonance

by Kagazuly



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Digital Art, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Existential Crisis, F/F, F/M, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Implied/Referenced Suicide, LGBTQ Character, Mental Breakdown, Mentions of War, New Dangan Ronpa V3 Spoilers, Panic Attacks, Physical Trauma, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Psychological Torture, Psychological Trauma, Rewrite, Suicidal Thoughts, Torture, like a lot of it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-21
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:48:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 47
Words: 210,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24831862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kagazuly/pseuds/Kagazuly
Summary: The main story for Beta AU!A rewrite of V3 with different talents, designs, roles, relationships, and motives!Or more accurately, a V3 rewrite using the Beta designs!Warning- The atmosphere and overall ambiance are darker than the original V3.Please do not read if under 16 or if you are sensitive to any of the subjects mentioned in the tags.Current status: Ongoing; Chapter 6.
Relationships: Akamatsu Kaede/Harukawa Maki, Amami Rantaro & Hoshi Ryoma, Amami Rantaro & Iruma Miu, Amami Rantaro & Tojo Kirumi, Amami Rantaro/Iruma Miu (one-sided), Chabashira Tenko & Gokuhara Gonta, Everyone & Everyone, Iruma Miu & Momota Kaito, Iruma Miu & Oma Kokichi, K1-B0 & Hoshi Ryoma, Momota Kaito & Saihara Shuichi, Not based around romance but the ships are still here, Oma Kokichi/Yumeno Himiko, Saihara Shuichi & Shinguji Korekiyo, Saihara Shuichi & Tojo Kirumi, Yonaga Angie & Yumeno Himiko
Comments: 475
Kudos: 185





	1. Introduction to the cast

This will be the canon story for my V3 AU, named "Beta AU" for short.

Beta AU is basically a V3 AU using the beta designs of the V3 cast, and new talents! Things will turn out very differently from the original, but the context is the exact same as the original V3, with the academy of gifted juveniles, and the whole scenario behind V3. Only the labs will be different and discovered in another order, and Shuichi is the main protagonist from the beginning.

_**Shuichi Saihara - Ultimate violinist** _

_Full body[here](https://64.media.tumblr.com/3970fa5d9de04174616230da6add5508/a81d4d4b5643525c-39/s1280x1920/e1dde487441af4a073d3c8b587c05877781cb307.png), [original beta design](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/danganronpa/images/e/e3/Art_Book_Scan_Danganronpa_V3_Character_Designs_Betas_Shuichi_Saihara_%281%29.png/revision/latest?cb=20170530073551)_

Shuichi is calm and a bit shy, though less smart than the original. He is really passionate about what he does and plays the violin whenever he feels like it. He is a bit socially awkward and would rather stay with only one or two friends at most at the same time.

He masters all types of melodies, but his favorites are probably relaxing songs. He is still lacking a bit of self-confidence, but he knows his songs can soothe the hearts of many, and is very glad that is the case.

_Likes:_ Butterflies  
 _Dislikes:_ High places

_Height:_ 163cm - 5'4  
 _Weight:_ 56kg - 125lbs

_Headcanon voice:_ [[link]](https://youtu.be/7Otr_aWWUZU)

_**Rantaro Amami - Ultimate medic** _

_Full body[here](https://64.media.tumblr.com/4ac4e0055fd2e8f0c3dd8ecd5537e264/dcd14f4b45c9f9a0-9a/s1280x1920/233d3f91d9dd958d3914e30b2c2c257848461278.png), [original beta design](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/danganronpa/images/0/07/Art_Book_Scan_Danganronpa_V3_Character_Designs_Betas_Rantaro_Amami_%283%29.png/revision/latest?cb=20170530075143)_

Rantaro appreciates the company of others a lot, and tries his best to bring everyone together during the killing game. He knows things can escalate rather quickly, so he tries to socialise as much as possible to avoid conflict. He is a guy you can rely on and will listen to you. While he doesn’t like being called a leader, Rantaro plays a major part in keeping the group from turning into pure chaos.

Because of his past as a part of a war doctors’ group, he is a master at healing and help others with what he can find. He also has great knowledge of the human body and ways to do improvised operations.

_Likes:_ Crackers  
 _Dislikes:_ Taking breaks

_Height:_ 150cm - 4'11  
 _Weight:_ 48kg - 105lbs

_Headcanon voice:_ [[link]](https://youtu.be/8Zuez10JnBI)

_**Miu Iruma - Ultimate street artist** _

_Full body[here](https://64.media.tumblr.com/6bfa47b885d7415b96052213e3ddd364/0f39db38da209d47-89/s1280x1920/fe1c83f2930f5b2a833566910e9cc7be28a2e779.png), [original beta design](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/danganronpa/images/4/43/Art_Book_Scan_Danganronpa_V3_Character_Designs_Betas_Miu_Iruma_%282%29.png/revision/latest?cb=20170530113900)_

Miu is the “older sister” friend. She is a sassy bitch with a huge heart, and tends to be extremely protective of the ones she loves the most. She is still pretty vulgar and makes quite a few dirty jokes, but she has her self confidence and is often acting flirty around others. Especially the boys.

As the ultimate street artist, Miu can paint wonderful graffitis with homemade paint that can glow in the dark. When she creates something, she goes all out and it’s useless to try to interrupt her. She will work until she herself gets starry eyed at her work.

_Likes:_ Fireflies  
 _Dislikes:_ Loneliness

_Height:_ 172cm - 5'8  
 _Weight:_ 62kg - 136lbs

_Headcanon voice:_ [[link]](https://youtu.be/0XH48ip_Uy4)

**_Kaito Momota - Ultimate biker_ **

_Full body[here](https://64.media.tumblr.com/a95c5b7ef262cba707285ef0dd56a354/cd808cd707eb78f2-cd/s1280x1920/0282545ca51545f82271bd520a9e644158a4556d.png), [original beta design](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/danganronpa/images/a/a5/Art_Book_Scan_Danganronpa_V3_Character_Designs_Betas_Kaito_Momota_%281%29.png/revision/latest?cb=20170530093558)_

Kaito is laid back and pretty chill, he is still a bro here but isn’t the leader type from the original. He prefers not to be the center of attention, whether positively or negatively, but he will gladly help a friend if asked to.

Kaito was enjoying motorcycles ever since he was a kid, and got to practice it (illegally with members of a biker gang) pretty soon, and became talented very quickly. While his field of expertise is mostly sport, he still has close ties with the gang, which he considers his second family.

_Likes:_ Card games  
 _Dislikes:_ Trucks

_Height:_ 177cm - 5′10  
 _Weight:_ 70kg - 155lbs

_Headcanon voice:_ [[link]](https://youtu.be/idLazLtaWMM)

**_Kaede Akamatsu - Ultimate writer_ **

_Full body[here](https://64.media.tumblr.com/8e475eae47bec0f7d4b037b7ea8eb44e/cd808cd707eb78f2-01/s1280x1920/d1a5413c5eb3617968a6930ac8c69feef90869a3.png), [original beta design](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/danganronpa/images/8/8a/Art_Book_Scan_Danganronpa_V3_Character_Designs_Betas_Kaede_Akamatsu_%282%29.png/revision/latest?cb=20170530095119)_

Kaede is pretty cheerful, and appreciates company a lot, due to being quite lonely in the past. She is a bit attention-starved, even though she manages to hide it. She really loves to share her work, and her writing skills can also be felt in conversations, as she is a very good speaker. But leader speeches and positive words are not her strength.

Kaede specializes in writing fantasy and sci-fi novels, anything that goes as far as possible from reality. Her main focus is to make the reader dream, and imagine the world she described on paper in a way that feels real.

_Likes:_ Rain  
 _Dislikes:_ Psychology

_Height:_ 158cm - 5′2  
 _Weight:_ 52kg - 115lbs

_Headcanon voice:_ [[link]](https://youtu.be/l80hdmRZczw)

**_Maki Harukawa - Ultimate tailor_ **

_Full body[here](https://64.media.tumblr.com/77852141680160fe86071cdb3bdce8dd/a81d4d4b5643525c-6f/s1280x1920/2b15cf36142a68a1642756423ef8b828a15e640f.png), [original beta design](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/danganronpa/images/1/19/Art_Book_Scan_Danganronpa_V3_Character_Designs_Betas_Maki_Harukawa_%282%29.png/revision/latest?cb=20170530124959)_

Maki is a calm and serene person. She won’t really go by herself to socialize, but will gladly talk to people if they come to her. She spends a good amount of time sketching outfits but gladly takes part in activities with other people. Alone time or just with a few close friends is enough for her.

She, as the ultimate tailor, enjoys creating clothes and accessories on her own. She will gladly create something for someone if asked to and will put all her heart into it.

_Likes:_ Spider lilies  
 _Dislikes:_ Arachnids

_Height:_ 160cm - 5′3  
 _Weight:_ 50kg - 110lbs

_Headcanon voice:_ [[link]](https://youtu.be/XSXtTDbvS40)

**_Tenko Chabashira - Ultimate judoka_ **

_Full body[here](https://64.media.tumblr.com/a679df8dd1b9ff013a9a369542bd6382/fef39e60e5b08e54-65/s1280x1920/5a198312314d5f6d0b11de47517a712ac7018a38.png), [original beta design](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/danganronpa/images/6/67/Art_Book_Scan_Danganronpa_V3_Character_Designs_Betas_Tenko_Chabashira_%282%29.png/revision/latest?cb=20170530121129)_

What people always remember from Tenko is her undying fighting spirit. She is extremely loyal and would never do something bad in someone’s back. She is often the one to do motivational speeches of all kinds, whether just to cheer up someone or motivate others to do their best with rivalry.

Tenko is very skilled when it comes to physical fights, but mostly when the fight is fair. She can defend herself, and will defend others at all costs, as she always puts her life before others’.

_Likes:_ Duels  
 _Dislikes: _Junk food

_Height:_ 165cm - 5′5  
 _Weight:_ 65kg - 143lbs

_Headcanon voice:_ [[link]](https://youtu.be/AOV2c0TiPpI)

**_Kokichi Ouma - Ultimate karma_ **

_Full body[here](https://64.media.tumblr.com/67d42586e14cc8a2ef7189917cbb2520/cd808cd707eb78f2-14/s1280x1920/4974ab521d8855d913c1283122613654c7171cd9.png), [original beta design](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/danganronpa/images/c/c9/Art_Book_Scan_Danganronpa_V3_Character_Designs_Betas_Kokichi_Oma_%281%29.png/revision/latest?cb=20170530075950)_

Kokichi is by far the most introverted one in the group. He avoids human contact at all costs. He has a huge lack of self-esteem and considers himself a nuisance, mainly because of his talent. However, it is possible to befriend him, even though he will feel uncomfortable at first (but not mad).

He doesn’t have a “real” talent per se. He is simply a ‘karma activator’, which means if he is around people, they would meet a different fate according to what they do. A nice person will get lucky while a heartless person will get unlucky. Kokichi despises this, so he just tries to avoid people in general.

_Likes:_ Black cats  
 _Dislikes:_ Mice

_Height:_ 147cm - 4′10  
 _Weight:_ 38kg - 83lbs

_Headcanon voice:_ [[link]](https://youtu.be/x3XWbkDeIas)

**_Himiko Yumeno - Ultimate astronomer_ **

_Full body[here](https://64.media.tumblr.com/1cc98f4422ab22b62f3b2b1d0c7aef39/dcd14f4b45c9f9a0-95/s1280x1920/f7e5b476ea7b6d565db2346789673127c7610bd4.png), [original beta design](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/danganronpa/images/8/8b/Art_Book_Scan_Danganronpa_V3_Character_Designs_Betas_Himiko_Yumeno_%281%29.png/revision/latest?cb=20170530130705)_

Himiko is probably the most cheerful and optimistic person here. Like Rantaro, she tries to befriend everyone who is even remotely nice, thinking there is good in everyone. But that makes her pretty naive. Due to a malformation, her body is rather weak, but that doesn’t make her life much harder. She just has to take naps quite often (between her befriending sessions) to gain some energy back.

As the ultimate astronomer, Himiko possesses vast knowledge of space, whether it is culture or science surrounding it. She wanted to go to space but gave up because of her physical condition. She wouldn’t say no to a free trip, though.

_Likes:_ Cottages  
 _Dislikes:_ Empty rooms

_Height:_ 140cm - 4′7  
 _Weight:_ 33kg - 72lbs

_Headcanon voice:_ [[link]](https://youtu.be/Ew40r6WXBSY)

**_Korekiyo Shinguji - Ultimate therapist_ **

_Full body[here](https://64.media.tumblr.com/1a6f1255341c1850f430c40ec5ff2335/fef39e60e5b08e54-b9/s1280x1920/fc2cac4c80dd4e31d6044278d75dfb26e484c31c.png), [original beta design](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/danganronpa/images/e/e4/Art_Book_Scan_Danganronpa_V3_Character_Designs_Betas_Korekiyo_Shinguji_%281%29.png/revision/latest?cb=20170530083042)_

Korekiyo is (ironically) by far the most mentally strong in the group. While of course the concept of the killing game and the psychological consequences it has on others disgust him, he manages to cope with the situation extremely well. He sometimes offer to talk to the others but is often declined because he has this slight creepy aura around him.

He is the ultimate therapist, and while he can’t heal entirely mental scars, he can analyse people incredibly well and help people recover from traumas, like he did with his sister in the past at the price of his right eye.

_Likes:_ Stress balls   
_Dislikes:_ Alcohol

_Height:_ 185cm - 6'1  
 _Weight:_ 72kg - 160lbs

_Headcanon voice:_ [[link]](https://youtu.be/menjuBIAxfU)

**_Tsumugi Shirogane - Ultimate prodigy_ **

_Full body[here](https://64.media.tumblr.com/0ca909ba4d03d0e0471fb9fc661693cb/28ae57af3d7cad83-6e/s1280x1920/88c59d58808a1cc4f9d5c14bdf3575ff0c84c31e.png), [original beta design](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/danganronpa/images/8/88/Art_Book_Scan_Danganronpa_V3_Character_Designs_Betas_Tsumugi_Shirogane_%281%29.png/revision/latest?cb=20170530115624)_

Tsumugi here is pretty stoic. She isn’t emotionless though and appreciates spending time with the others, as long as it’s not too noisy or chaotic. Due to her almost non-existent social skills, she doesn’t get most jokes and can be pretty dense.

She is the ultimate prodigy, which means she extremely intelligent (a genius, even), the counterpart being a real lack of empathy towards others. She is mainly focused on studies, instead of making friends, and learning new things became a passion for her, rather than a chore.

_Likes:_ Science  
 _Dislikes:_ Socializing

_Height:_ 175cm - 5'9  
 _Weight:_ 61kg - 135lbs

_Headcanon voice:_ [[link]](https://youtu.be/czltl7HhIV4)

**_Ryoma Hoshi - Ultimate weapons maker_ **

_Full body[here](https://64.media.tumblr.com/572051a623873951a1138dc2bda9c2ad/dcd14f4b45c9f9a0-d0/s1280x1920/c73ba1e4334aa113c96239054af19cfeefef4551.png), [original beta design](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/danganronpa/images/3/3b/Art_Book_Scan_Danganronpa_V3_Character_Designs_Betas_Ryoma_Hoshi_%285%29.png/revision/latest?cb=20170530090622)_

Ryoma doesn’t change much from the original. He doesn’t talk a lot and doesn’t find a point in befriending people who are probably going to die. He is indifferent to a majority of things and wouldn’t feel remorse by killing someone, but doesn’t see the point in doing so.

Being raised in a war environment, apathy struck him rather soon to give space to his incredible skill in creating and fixing all types of weapons, cold, electronic, or fire weapons, and even explosives. He can easily create his own weapons if he finds them useful.

_Likes:_ Puzzles  
 _Dislikes:_ Winter

_Height:_ 115cm - 3′7  
 _Weight:_ 35kg - 77lbs

_Headcanon voice:_ [[link]](https://youtu.be/VJbUUU0tGq8)

**_Kirumi Tojo - Ultimate maid_ **

_Full body[here](https://64.media.tumblr.com/d5546a1a79a1983e72b3c0a3269db119/fef39e60e5b08e54-0d/s1280x1920/7163b6a296db92ee17d2209ccc77f5b624e34ecd.png), [original beta design](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/danganronpa/images/c/cf/Art_Book_Scan_Danganronpa_V3_Character_Designs_Betas_Kirumi_Tojo_%281%29.png/revision/latest?cb=20170530122522)_

To Kirumi, emotions are a foreign concept. She is asked to complete a task, she completes it if the reward is here. However, she is only loyal to herself and knows the situation she's in, so her devotion to others is only limited to a simple maid job.

Kirumi is almost flawless when it comes to her job. Whether it's from a simple maid job to more difficult tasks. She is usually employed by higher-ups because of her incredible talent.

_Likes:_ Classical music  
 _Dislikes:_ Firearms

_Height:_ 183cm - 6'0  
 _Weight:_ 65kg - 145lbs

_Headcanon voice:_ [[link]](https://youtu.be/pP2NPHiHEKg)

**_Angie Yonaga - Ultimate craftswoman_ **

_Full body[here](https://64.media.tumblr.com/8a277fa2009953bc5f44470d50d570b5/a81d4d4b5643525c-1b/s1280x1920/6daf8ddcf63b1891308ebadd3ff3e3c4049d5d89.png), [original beta design](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/danganronpa/images/f/fd/Art_Book_Scan_Danganronpa_V3_Character_Designs_Betas_Angie_Yonaga_%281%29.png/revision/latest?cb=20170530131518)_

Angie, as her appearance makes it look like, is a very cheerful person, and is glad to discover Japanese culture and share her own from foreign islands. But in reality, she despises her native culture and feels much better in Japan.

She has incredible crafting skills, whether they’re tools, furniture, or art, mostly in natural materials such as wood, stone, or clay.

_Likes:_ Pomegranates  
 _Dislikes:_ Sewing

_Height:_ 143cm - 4'8  
 _Weight:_ 38kg - 83lbs

_Headcanon voice:_ I don't have anything so just take her canon voice but a bit higher pitched.

**_Gonta Gokuhara - Ultimate Zoologist_ **

_Full body[here](https://64.media.tumblr.com/2c13aaa6554e51b67ada4978581a13bd/28ae57af3d7cad83-cc/s1280x1920/8956484f1dc4bb287dd32e13c927c323bbcf1b7f.png), [original beta design](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/danganronpa/images/b/bf/Art_Book_Scan_Danganronpa_V3_Character_Designs_Betas_Gonta_Gokuhara_%281%29.png/revision/latest?cb=20170530082245)_

Despite his intimidating appearance, Gonta is a rather introverted yet passionate person. If a person approaches him with the intention of annoying him, he will get uncomfortable really quickly. He spends most of his time with animals since he prefers their presence over humans’.

Gonta has a non-ending passion for animals of all types, from reptiles to insects to even wild animals. He studies their behavior and tries to learn more and more about them. His biggest accomplishment was to have an actual conversation in sign language with a chimp.

_Likes:_ Deer  
 _Dislikes:_ Large cities

_Height:_ 190cm - 6'3  
 _Weight:_ 88kg - 195lbs

_Headcanon voice:_ [[link]](https://youtu.be/5Imu_-ADZxI)

**_K1-B0 - Ultimate ???_ **

_Full body[here](https://64.media.tumblr.com/04708d6973c7487bbf043099e7eecf57/28ae57af3d7cad83-c1/s1280x1920/de8e54a9026cc7cdda6650ac95e5b8f8e27292ea.png), [original beta design](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/danganronpa/images/7/7e/Art_Book_Scan_Danganronpa_V3_Character_Designs_Betas_Keebo_K1-B0_Ki-Bo_Kiibo_%282%29.png/revision/latest?cb=20170530081318)_

K1-B0 is… Very stoic, to say the least. The others know he is a robot, but most wonder if it’s a killing machine that Monokuma modified so he wouldn’t blow up the entire school. He doesn’t mind offensive remarks towards him and thinks that’s fair people think of him this way. He doesn’t mind other people’s company, though.

While he is a robot, K1-B0 is pretty much an average human when it comes to abilities. Of course, he has more strength than most of them, but he doesn’t consider his nature as the one of “an ultimate”.

_Likes:_ Pocket watches  
 _Dislikes:_ Flashlights

_Height:_ 168cm - 5'6  
 _Weight:_ 85kg - 187lbs

_Headcanon voice:_ [[link]](https://youtu.be/T4C7S-UmPpo)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, I apologize in advance if I make grammatical mistakes, since English isn't my first language and this is my very first work of writing.
> 
> The first chapter will be highly summarized due to me originally wanting to sum up the events. But I ended up starting to write the entire thing chapter 2 onward. However, all the important parts are here.
> 
> Also, I have a Tumblr! Unfortunately I didn't plan on telling the full story immediately when I started creating it so if you want to browse through stuff, make sure to block the tag "beta au spoilers", because some minor spoilers will pop up from time to time.  
> https://kagazuly.tumblr.com/


	2. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The academy for gifted juveniles welcomes their new prodigies! But something isn't right. Things aren't supposed to be this way, right?

Day: Unknown. **  
**

Place: Unknown, Japan.

A young highschool student makes his way to the address given to him on the sheet of paper he holds on to tightly.

He looks up to the large building before him.

“I still can’t believe any of this is real.”

He doesn’t realise how much time he stared at it until he heard another voice beside him.

“You’ve been staring at this for about two full minutes. You good?”

He snaps out of whatever trance he was in to face the other boy. Another highschooler, with messy light green hair and physical aspects that could be described as feminine.

“No I just…”

He looked back to the building.

“I never thought I would get in in the first place.”

“Me too, and yet here we are.”

He sighed. “It was about damn time.”

…

\-----------

...

Day: Unknown.  
Place: Unknown.

Shuichi woke up in a confined space. If he were to guess, it was probably a locker. He tried to get an idea of where he was, but his movements were very limited.

He heard footsteps coming towards his locker, and out of panic, Shuichi stayed still hoping the person outside didn’t notice another presence.

“Is someone in there?” another voice questioned. A male voice. But Shuichi didn’t recognize it, and didn’t know if this person was nice or not.

“I’m not here to hurt anyone, I just want to know where am I.”

Perhaps this person wasn’t a bad guy after all. Shuichi pushed the door and got out of what was indeed a locker. Around him was a classroom, with a modern aspect, but looked like it was abandoned years ago due to the long vines on the roof and walls.

It was only then that he faced the only other person in the room.

A male teenager around his age from his looks, perhaps a bit younger. He wore a dark blue, comfortable looking jacket, a white shirt and dark blue pants. But what was the most noticeable thing about him was his light green hair and intense green gaze, staring at him. It wasn’t in an angry way, but it still intimidated Shuichi.

“You don’t look like you have any idea about where we are.”

Unfortunately he was right.

“No clue, sorry.” he scratched the back of his head.

They looked around to get, perhaps an idea of their current location. The other boy swept away some dust on one of the desks.

“Strange. Even though we were brought here, this place looks like it hadn’t been stepped in in at least years.”

Shuichi frowned. “Brought here? What do you mean?”

The unnamed boy turned around to face the blue eyed student.

“Unless you went here on your o-”

He was brutally interrupted by a high pitched voice.

“Rise and shine, ursine!”

The two teens were startled by the sudden apparition of… A bi-colored teddy bear, red and white, with a scarf and a shuriken.

“A teddy bear??”

“I’m not a teddy bear, I’m Mo-”

“Let’s get to the point. Are you the one who kidnapped us?”, the green haired boy interrupted, clearly, already annoyed.

“How rude to interrupt me! I’m Monotaro, from the Monokubs!”

Shuichi was confused by what was happening. “I’ve never heard of you though…”

The bear looked at the two boys.

“Alright! We’re good to go then! Let’s tackle each issue one at a time! Any questions?”

The green eyed teenager didn’t waste a second.

“Where are we?”

“This place is called the Ultimate academy for Gifted Juveniles, an academy made for you two and the other fourteen ultimates!”

Shuichi was getting more and more confused. “The Ultimate academy for… What?”

The red and white bear looked more than glad to explain things, which was the only plus in the situation.

“There are 16 Ultimates at this school! Students chosen and recruited for the Ultimate initiative for their talents!”

Shuichi seemed to understand the situation, but his ‘partner’ raised an eyebrow in confusion.

“Anyway, it’s time for you to greet the other ultimates of the academy! It will be important for you guys’ activity later!”

The duo looked at each other.

Monotaro seemed satisfied.

“Alrighty then! So long, bear well!”

“Wait!” Shuichi reached out to it, but it was too late.

“We were definitely kidnapped.” the other boy said bluntly.

The chestnut haired teen looked at him. But turned his gaze back to the ground. “Unfortunately there isn’t much we can do about it for now.”

“What’s your name by the way?” Shuichi asked.

“The name’s Rantaro Amami. I’ve been called the ultimate medic from time to time.”

“Oh, you work in hospitals? That’s nice!”

He chuckled. “Not exactly, but whatever. What’s your name?”

“Oh, my name is Shuichi Saihara, the ultimate violinist. At least it’s the title I often get from the people I play for.” He didn’t want to brag about his talent, perhaps in fear of being judged.

The two made their way out for their quest for the other ultimates. But as they were walking, Shuichi had a question on his mind, something his ‘new friend’ had said.

As if reading his mind, Rantaro turned to him. “You look like you want to ask me something, but you don’t dare to.”

“Ah!-”

The medic chuckled. “Hey, it’s fine, really. But what’s on your mind though?”

Shuichi looked for words. “Earlier you looked confused when the red bear said we were recruited as Ultimates, and you are absolutely sure this wasn’t on our will. Why is that?”

“You’re observant, I see.” Rantaro affirmed. He looked away from Shuichi. “Because my place is not here. Even if it’s an academy for us ultimates, I don’t belong here.”

“What do you mean?”

“My place is on the battlefield, with my crew, helping soldiers recover from their injuries. Not in an academy studying to work in a hospital.”

Shuichi’s eyes widened. “You’re a war medic?”

“That’s what I’ve always been. And even if someone handed me a letter to say I was accepted here, I would have refused.”

Rantaro didn’t seem mad, or sorrowful in those words. It was barely a statement, but Shuichi couldn’t help but look away.

“Don’t be sad, even if my work conditions aren’t the best, that’s the future I choose for myself. My duty. My role as a war medic.”

At least he didn’t look like he was too much forced into his position, which was a relief.

The two explored the academy, finding one by one the other ultimates.

Tenko Chabashira, the ultimate judoka, a cheerful girl who had a positive attitude despite the situation they were in.

K1-B0, a stoic robot who didn’t remember if he had a special talent besides his nature.

Himiko Yumeno, the ultimate astronomer, a young looking girl who was determined to befriend everyone here.

Kokichi Ouma, the ultimate karma, a very timid boy who preferred to describe his talent as “Ultimate unlucky pest”, already unsettled by Himiko’s cheerful attitude towards him.

Ryoma Hoshi, the ultimate weapons maker, a calm and small yet mature boy, whose soldier nature stood out more than Rantaro.

Maki Harukawa, the ultimate tailor, whose outfit was clearly homemade with a skill living up to the name of ultimate.

Kaede Akamatsu, the ultimate writer, very passionate about her talent and didn’t miss the occasion to talk to the other girl in the room.

Miu Iruma, the ultimate street artist, very flirtatious and confident in her talent as an artist, calling herself “firefly of the city”.

Tsumugi Shirogane, the ultimate prodigy, a calm girl who didn’t have a lot of friends from the look of things.

Angie Yonaga, the ultimate craftswoman, clearly foreign from the way she looks and speaks, but being with Japanese people doesn’t seem to bother her.

Gonta Gokuhara, the ultimate zoologist, who looked reluctant to meet everyone but talked nonetheless.

Korekiyo Shinguji, the ultimate therapist, a bit creepy on the outside, but it was easy to see he was not ill intended in the slightest.

Kaito Momota, the ultimate biker, confident and up to meet the rest of the ultimates, proclaiming himself “the best biker and mechanic you could ask for”.

Kirumi Tojo, the ultimate maid, who looked very serious and mature, and would probably be the mom of the group if it wasn’t for her cold demeanor. 

Despite their friendly interactions with them, the gut feeling that something wrong was going to happen didn’t fade away.

Rantaro and Shuichi were suddenly startled by one of the monitors suddenly lighting up.

“Rise and shine, ursine!” the already annoying jingle ringed through the speakers.

It was only then that the two realized there were not one, but five of those bears speaking to them.

“Hiii! Thanks for bear-ing with us!”

“...”

it didn’t take long for Shuichi to start getting annoyed at the bear puns. After glancing at Kirumi and Rantaro, he realized he wasn’t the only one.

“Kept you bastards waiting, huh!?”

“Everyone, make your way to the gym please.”

“The opening ceremony can finally begin!”

“Phew! We already finished our preparations!”

“... You do realize you just read your lines backwards, don’t you?”

Their catchphrase was already starting to get stuck in their heads.

“So long, bear well!”

The monitors turned off, leaving the trio alone. They looked at each other.

Kirumi broke the silence. “It looks like we don’t have a choice.”

Rantaro frowned. “I still have a bad feeling about this. You go without asking questions?”

The young woman briefly stopped in her tracks. “I am a maid. If I am requested at one place, It is my duty to go.”

Shuichi was not optimistic about the situation either. “I guess all we can do is get there.”

After a short walk, they made their way to the gym, finding the rest of the students here.

Some of them were talking about the new academy. But some were also worried about what everything was about.

Their talk stopped when the ground started shaking, only for five huge robots to come out of nowhere, almost crushing them.

“Yoo-hoo! Rise and shine, ursine!”

Some started screaming, telling everyone to run away, but the robots had already them surrounded.

“What do we do?”

“I don’t know! Those machines look powerful!”

“I’m not experienced in fighting robots!”

A voice came out of one of the exisals. “They’re exisals, not robots! Highly mobile, bipedal weapons platforms! They got lotsa hometown pride, too!”

“I can’t keep track of these backstories.”

Miu got the attention of the rest of them back. “It still doesn’t change the fact that we have to run!”

“Wait.”

The voice came from K1-B0.

“If they wanted to kill us, they would have done it right away, don’t you think?”

The rest of them were septic, but the exisals weren’t doing anything. The robot faced one of the exisals.

“You five asked us to join you here for a ceremony. I assume this isn’t to crush us with these machines?”

Tsumugi faintly, but surely joined in.

“I-If you took those giant robots, that means you guessed we wouldn’t cooperate with whatever you want to do to us…”

The yellow exisal seemed to react the first. “Aren’t you a wise girl?”

The blue one exclaimed “I’ll start us off! Listen up! Here’s what we want you punkasses to do…”

He paused, then laughed.

“My heart’s goin’ 100 miles per hour! I’m gonna say it! You ready!? Hell yeah! It’s a-”

He didn’t even finish the sentence that the green exisal spoke.

“KILLING-GAME.”

A sudden silence fell on the students.

“A… What??”

“If that’s a joke that’s not funny!”

The exisals started to fight between themselves, blaming one another for ‘ruining’ it.

Some of the ultimates looked at each other. This… Didn’t look like a prank. They were thinking about a strategy to run away until an unfamiliar voice was heard.

“Now, now, now…”

Shuichi looked at the origin of the sound, even though nothing was there.

“My cute little cubs… You gotta knock off this awful fighting…”

The monokubs suddenly got out of the exisals to go on stage, leaving the huge mechas on the sides of the gym.

“Father!? Father, is that you!?”

“Papa Kuma! Papa Kumaaaaa!”

“Daddy!? Where are you, Daddy!?”

The others were confused to say the least. The light suddenly shut off, only for a single spotlight to light up, in the middle of the stage, revealing a sixth bear, black and white, landing on the ground with what could be grace, if it wasn’t for the fact they were talking about a teddy bear.

“I am the god of this new world, and the headmaster of the Ultimate Academy! The one, the only… Monokuma! Nice to meetcha!”

The kubs and their so called father started arguing in front of worried and confused students.

“What is this…?”

“It’s aura is certainly not blessed!”

“Why is there a sixth one of those teddy bears??”

As if offended by that word, the black and white bear turned back to the students.

“First of all, I’m no teddy bear. I’m Monokuma. Show some respect! I’m the headmaster of the Ultimate academy for Gifted Juveniles!”

Kirumi, despite declaring herself as the ultimate maid, was having none of the bear’s nonsense. “Don’t try to make me believe you are the headmaster of an academy like this.”

The robot on the students’ side spoke up. “I know robots when I see them. But I have a bad feeling about this.”

Ryoma stared at Monokuma. “Alright. You bots talked about a ‘killing game’. What are you even saying?”

Said bear started to laugh.

“What’s so funny about a killing game?!” Miu butted in, both mad and afraid.

“I want you students with your Ultimate-level talents to participate in a killing game.”

Kaito stepped in. “You want us to kill each other? Who would even try to do so?!”

Tenko raised her hands in a combat position. “If it’s just those six bears, we can take them!”

Monokuma laughed again. “We have the exisals on our side. You can’t defy us. In other words… I have the power of life and death over each and every one of you.”

Himiko, despite her short stature, yelled at the bear. “Why on earth would we kill our friends?”

“You guys aren’t friends, you are enemies! After all, a game where no one dies isn’t fun!”

Shuichi didn’t even know what to say. The situation was so absurd.

Monokuma, with his frozen smile, continued the conversation.

“How about an explanation of the killing game? Let’s get this heart pounding killing school semester started already!”

“You are allowed to kill whoever you want, however you want! Stabbing! Drowning! Poisoning! Chocking! You ultimates have all the potential to create some of the most creative methods of killing! After all, there is no better place for a killing game than the ultimate academy!”

No one really dared to respond.

“Once a murder is done, the remaining students proceed to an investigation, then a class trial! The blackened must deceive the spotless! After the trial, it’s voting time! If a majority guesses correctly, only the blackened killer will receive punishment. Buuut! If you vote for the wrong person, the blackened gets away, and all the spotless students get punished instead!”

Kaede’s voice was shaking. “What kind of game is this…?”

Rantaro frowned. “And what is the punishment you talked about?”

Monokuma looked at Rantaro.

“Well it’s simple! The punishment is an execution. After all, it’s only suited for a killing game that a murderer gets killed for their crimes!”

Shuichi couldn’t believe that was real. It all felt like fiction. Yet they were here.

Kokichi was holding onto his sleeves. “Why would we… Why would I… I don’t want to be a part of this! There’s no way I’m doing this!”

Monokuma smiled widely. “You think you have a choice? The killing game is the only reason you’re here!”

For the first time since all this nonsense, Shuichi spoke.

“There… There is no way we’re gonna kill each other just because you told us so!”

Monokuma laughed once again. “I love that spirit of resistance! That’s what I’m looking for in a killing game!”

“But what’s better is to watch you crumble one by one… And then there were none.”

“It’s my role as a headmaster to ensure this killing game is done according to the rules!”

Monokuma went again through a fit of sadistic laughter.

The students all stood there. All of this felt unreal.

But now was not the time to give up. They were going to survive, no matter the cost.

They were not going to be part of this sick, twisted game.


	3. Chapter 1: Pledge your allegiance to me - Daily life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Monokuma announced the beginning of the killing game!
> 
> Everyone will surely get together to fight despair and make sure they all escape alive, right?

…

Monokuma gave them the monopads and the rest of the rules.

After the “entrance ceremony” none of them knew what to do.

Korekiyo suggested they explored the academy in groups to find maybe a hint about an escape or anything, and communicate any information they found with the others.

Tenko interrupts him, saying she found a manhole behind the building, but wasn’t sure if it led somewhere, since she wasn’t able to take it off.

She guides them there, but Ryoma and Tsumugi, don’t think this will lead anywhere.

Kaede suggests K1-B0 to try to take it off, since he is a robot.

K1-B0, despite having a greater strength than most, can barely make it move.

Gonta suggests he tries, and does it with ease. Tenko compliments his strength, that some others like Kokichi And Miu find a bit scary.

They look around the underground passage, but Korekiyo and Tsumugi suggest that it might be a trap, since Monokuma didn’t try to stop them.

Angie and Himiko say that there is still a chance, and even though it might be a trap, a team full of ultimates can surpass it.

They all try to get through the passage, but it’s a failure.

The positive ones try to comfort the injured, but some already gave up.

Monokuma and the monokubs appear saying they knew they would find the passage.

Kaito comments on their sadistic nature to leave a small glimmer of fake hope to them.

Tsumugi adds that they wouldn’t have let them go if it was really an escape.

They retry once again, just to see what even is at the end of the tunnel.

After another failure, Korekiyo suggests they stop for now, as they’re all unable to continue, and this will lead to nowhere if they’re in this state.

Himiko argues saying they can’t just leave this here, that they have to know what’s at the end.

Ryoma suggests they return once they’re fully prepared.

They were interrupted by the night time announcement.

Shuichi suggests they go to sleep and decide what to do the next day, since they’re all exhausted.

They all agree and most of them go to sleep.

Some stay outside for a while, Himiko looking at the stars, Kaede writing in a notebook, and Miu just taking a walk.

The next day, everyone reunited in the dining hall. Thankfully no one was killed.

They discussed what they should do, some of them already pleading not to return to the underground passage.

K1-B0 suggests they look around the academy to find perhaps something to help them.

Rantaro agrees, since it’s the only solution they have.

Korekiyo suggests they do it in groups. 

The groups were organized by four. Group A was Shuichi, Rantaro, Maki and Kaede; group B was Kokichi, Himiko, Angie and K1-B0; group C was Miu, Kaito, Ryoma and Kirumi; and group D was Tenko, Gonta, Korekiyo and Tsumugi.

Monokuma pops out of nowhere and introduces the first blood perk, that the first person to kill another will be free to go without any consequences.

Himiko stepped in, saying that no one would try to kill like this. Tenko does as well, saying she is going to fight him.

The monokubs with an exisal come in, ready to at least threaten Tenko when Monokuma gets crushed by it.

They panic, saying that they’re the new headmasters now, and will still corner them like rats if they even tried to do anything against the rules.

They leave the rest of the students to themselves.

Kirumi suggests now is the perfect time to explore the academy, and find perhaps another way to escape.

The groups separate.

Group A explored the first floors of the main building. Shuichi was somehow leading the group. Kaede insisted on exploring the library if they found anything useful, to which Maki decided to stick with her and let the other two explore other places. Rantaro noticed the food in the kitchen looked like it was fresh and restored only recently.

Group B had to split up after Kokichi said he didn’t feel good. Himiko tried to stick with him but got rejected after he locked himself in his room. Angie and K1-B0 continued their researches outside on their own after getting Himiko back.

Group C explored buildings other than the main building. Miu noticed what looked like a casino behind one of the walls, Ryoma saying Monokuma probably didn’t want them to be here yet, which was another reason to try to go there. Kirumi suggests they should at least tell the others before doing anything stupid. Kaito agrees.

Group D explored the opened floors as well. None of the doors were unlocked, which disappointed them. Tsumugi suggested that if this was indeed a killing game, those doors would probably open once a murder occurs. Korekiyo, as much as he didn’t want it to be right, agreed. Tenko and Gonta tried to cheer them up to say they weren’t going to die so easily.

After that they all reunited and told the others about what they found. Unfortunately none of the things they found were really interesting.

The next day, after chatting for a bit, Monokuma suddenly showed up and presented another motive: The time limit. If two days from this day, at nighttime, no one had died, everyone would die.

Of course, no one was accepting this, but trust was already a foreign notion, so they all went their ways, except for Shuichi, Rantaro, Tenko, Gonta, Kirumi and K1-B0, who stayed in the dining hall to think about a plan.

After thinking about the possibilities, they eventually thought it would be better to try to search through the academy once again to find something better to do.

Some time later, Shuichi found Kokichi and Himiko talking to K1-B0. Mostly Himiko, since Kokichi kept his distance with the other two. After joining in, Himiko explained to Shuichi that perhaps they could consider calling “K1-B0” “Keebo” instead, since it was easier to pronounce and it felt more human than two letters and numbers. The robot seemed indifferent, but didn’t mind being called Keebo. Himiko seemed satisfied and was ready to tell everyone, grabbing Kokichi by the hand and running through the hallways, even though judging by Kokichi’s reaction, he wasn’t comfortable being dragged around like that.

He also came across Maki, who seemed glad somehow. When asked, she responded that her lab opened, and that she would perhaps find something to do to distract her from the fact that they could die in a few days.

Shuichi also realized his lab was opened. After looking around for a few minutes, he turned back to see that Ryoma and Rantaro entered as well, glancing at what the violinist’s lab with admiration. Ryoma commented how Monokuma specifically opened the labs for the people who probably wouldn’t be able to fight back against him.

When afternoon came, Tenko announced to anyone she could find that she and Gonta would do a martial art match, to test the other’s strength, and if they wanted to see it, they would be welcome, since Tenko’s lab opened that day.

A few people joined Tenko and Gonta to watch their match: Himiko (who dragged Kokichi there), Kirumi, who said that a request for her presence shall be fulfilled, Ryoma, Rantaro and Shuichi.

Kirumi commented on how the match opposed brute strength and technique, and understood why Tenko wanted to do this match. Rantaro seemed to agree, but was prepared just in case someone was injured. He didn’t have access to great resources, but he would do his best.

The match ended with Tenko winning, which was not really surprising, but their match was a close call. The two shook hands as a sign of respect. Tenko advised Gonta on how he could improve his technique, because someone could easily defeat him if the opponent has a weapon on them and know the basics in fighting.

The evening, Shuichi noticed on his notepad Rantaro and Ryoma in the warehouse. He felt bad just standing there without doing anything, so he decided to check on them and see if he could try to do something. When he arrived, he saw the two with different items scattered around, some boxes emptied of their content.

The two said they would try to see if they had any material for Ryoma to build something to use against Monokuma. Of course he didn’t have the necessary tools, but it would be better than nothing. Shuichi helped with their research.

Nighttime came and they all decided to end here, Ryoma bringing the most useful items to his room to try to at least think about something. They agreed not to talk to anyone about this.

The next day, Shuichi decided to search his own lab through and through, to help Ryoma and Rantaro in their mission to collect things to fight Monokuma. Unfortunately his lab didn’t have much.

He then decides to check the library to perhaps find something useful. Some time later Angie showed up with the same intention as Shuichi, from what she was saying.

After searching through the books, Angie noticed that it was weird that all the shelves had books on it except one, and perhaps something was there. Shuichi brushed it off but Angie insisted, saying that it was very strange to leave only one like this when there a lot of books scattered around on the floor and yet this bookshelf didn’t have anything on it.

They decided to inspect it, and after Angie brushed some of the books, the bookshelf moved to reveal the door. With its distinct pattern, they came with the conclusion that Monokuma used that door to do something in a secret room, and it was afraid protecting it with exisals wasn’t enough.

They decided to tell the rest of the group at lunchtime since they didn’t have anything to lose.

The afternoon was spent by most of of them as finding ways to go through the door, but no one was able to do anything.

Around the evening the music started playing, making everyone panic.

_[BGM: Let’s kill each other](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DLOB0A_mphX8&t=OTBlNDczODFmODU4ZDgzY2YyNmRlZjZkNDk0M2JmZjI0YWJhNzBjOSxIb2Y0amUzeA%3D%3D&b=t%3AaEnQvCCauXagTyrPelg-AA&p=https%3A%2F%2Fkagazuly.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F614560169530163200%2Fbeta-au-main-story-chapter-1-daily-life&m=1) _

They were all in different groups, but Shuichi was with Kaito, Miu, Rantaro and Ryoma at the time.

They all went to the game room to see if there was anything that could be used as a weapon, or at least something. Besides, as Ryoma said, the basement would be harder to reach for the exisals.

Some time later, the monitors announced only one hour was left.

Just a few minutes later, Angie went in to say almost all of them were in the library preparing something at the door they found earlier.

Unfortunately nothing much could have been done for the door. Ryoma suggested they went back to the warehouse to see if anything could be found.

Thus, Shuichi, Ryoma, Tenko and Keebo went to the warehouse, prepared in case Monokuma decided to do something.

They went through the boxes one last time, but something caught Shuichi’s eye, behind one of the shelves.

It’s only after approaching that he discovered the harsh truth.

There was a dead body stabbed several times in the chest, laying against the wall, on the floor.

_The victim was Gonta Gokuhara, the ultimate zoologist._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lab locations  
> -  
> Shuichi: Replaces Kaede’s lab.  
> Tenko: Same location.  
> Maki: Replaces Kirumi’s lab.


	4. Chapter 1: Pledge your allegiance to me - Deadly life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gonta Gokuhara was stabbed by an unknown assaillent! But who could it be? That's for them to figure out.

…

To say Shuichi was shocked was an understatement. He took a few steps back, hands on his mouth. He had never been exposed to a dead body before, and even though a part of him expected to see someone dying soon, he was not mentally prepared. **  
**

Rantaro noticed him, asking what was wrong, even though he, deep down, knew what was the problem.

The others joined him and saw their friend’s dead body, and the music on the monitors stopped.

The body discovery announcement went off.

“Ding dong, dong ding!”

“A body has been discovered!”

“Everyone, please gather at the warehouse!”

About a minute later, everyone was there. Monokuma showed up, happy that someone was murdered on time and said that everything was fine because the culprit just had to raise their hand and take the first blood perk.

But nobody did.

Monokuma was satisfied anyway, and announced the beginning of the investigation. He also told them the Monokuma files were available on their monopads.

_Monokuma file #1_

  * The victim is Gonta Gokuhara, the ultimate zoologist.
  * The body was discovered in the warehouse.
  * The estimated time of death is unknown.
  * The victim was stabbed several times in both the chest and the stomach, resulting in an internal bleeding.
  * The victim died almost immediately from his injuries.
  * No other injuries were noted on the victim’s body.



**Obtained truth bullet! Monokuma file #1**

The others started investigating.

Rantaro examined his body, by taking Gonta’s shirt off, to which Miu was about to do a dirty comment but Kaito told her not to.

He concluded the Monokuma file was saying the truth, since the injuries looked fresh, and it was definitely not a mannequin nor a fake body.

After taking a good look at the stab wounds, he also concluded that, out of the 8 stab wounds, 2 looked like they were really deep and the other 6 looked like quick stabs.

**Obtained truth bullet! Rantaro’s examination**

Unfortunately for them, the murder weapon was nowhere to be seen.

After looking around the warehouse, they didn’t notice anything that could look like a weapon, nor any other hints.

Shuichi, feeling already sick of this, decided to leave the warehouse. He took a quick glance at Rantaro who was still investigating the body carefully, somehow keeping a cool head. But that was to be expected from a war medic.

Outside, he noticed Kokichi and Himiko arguing. Himiko seemed to encourage him with the investigation, saying that if they work together they will surpass this. Kokichi seemed to be panicking, and wanted Himiko to leave him alone because “he only brings bad luck to the others, and doesn’t want the blackened to suffer more than they already will”.

Shuichi preferred not to interfere and decided to look for what could be a murder weapon.

He went to the kitchen, since one of the obvious choices would be a knife. One knife was missing, according to Kirumi, who had just came in and knew exactly how many knives were there.

**Obtained truth bullet! Missing knife**

A few seconds later, they found Maki who was heading back to the warehouse, but Shuichi interrupted her to ask if anything was wrong.

She responded that it was probably nothing, but one of her Japanese scissors went missing this morning, but thought it was probably lost in all the fabric in her lab.

**Obtained truth bullet! Missing scissors**

Kirumi asked if she could perhaps take a look around.

Maki was a bit uncomfortable showing her lab like that, but she decided to let it slide because of the investigation.

Her lab was a mess to say the least, but according to her, things were normal. Kirumi asked her if she wanted it to be cleaned, but Maki was fine with the mess.

The three went back to the warehouse, to see if they had anything new to say.

Rantaro said he didn’t find much more on the body, just that the murder weapon was about the size of a knife, or as Maki suggested, Japanese scissors.

**Obtained truth bullet! Stab wounds**

Angie was examining Gonta’s shirt, who was, apart from the stab holes, ripped around the shoulder.

**Obtained truth bullet! Ripped shirt**

Maki seemed surprise by this fact, because she remembered Gonta coming to her the previous day, asking if she could repair his shirt because it had the hole in it, but it looked like it was ripped again.

**Obtained truth bullet! Maki’s account**

They decided to do a recap what everyone was doing before the body discovery announcement.

According to Angie; the people in the library right before the announcement were Ryoma, Kirumi, Maki, Kaede, Kaito, Miu and herself.

**Obtained truth bullet! Angie’s account**

According to Himiko; Kokichi, Tsumugi, Korekiyo and herself were in the game room.

**Obtained truth bullet! Himiko’s account**

Tsumugi noticed a box that looked slightly opened and out of place in the shelves. After reaching out to it she discovered a blood-stained sheet.

**Obtained truth bullet! Stained sheet**

Just as the two were about to inform the others about the sheet, they noticed Tenko stepping on what looked like a piece of duct tape, just peeking from under one of the shelves. She realized almost instantly and took it off. The three looked at what it exactly was, for it to turn out to have blood on the sticky surface. It looked like it had been used.

**Obtained truth bullet! Bloody duct tape**

Not long after that, the same jingle ringed once again through the other’s ears. Monokuma was asking them to go to the shrine of judgment for the trial.

They all went there, not knowing whether they were going to come out of this alive or not.

The elevator ride felt so long, and the door opened to reveal the giant trial court with the 16 podiums. They all placed themselves to different spots.

No one really dared to say anything as Monokuma explained the rules.

Everyone seemed to show their nervousness differently, Kokichi was trying to make himself smaller, Maki was tugging on her own hair and Angie was unable to stay in place. To his surprise however, some others looked confident, or at least not affected by their situation at all. That was the case of Kirumi, Rantaro, Tsumugi, Korekiyo, Ryoma and Keebo.

They didn’t really know where to start, so the obvious was to talk about the murder weapon. Unfortunately, it was nowhere to be found.

Rantaro had concluded earlier that either the missing knife or the scissors could have been weapons.

Tsumugi made a point saying that Monokuma didn’t give a specific timing for the investigation, so it was most likely they collected all the evidence that could lead to a fair class trial.

In conclusion, the murder weapon not being on the Monokuma file, there was a high chance it was one of the two, and not something else.

Monokuma started arguing that he could stop the investigation whenever he wanted, and didn’t have to be scolded by some stupid teenagers.

They ignored the comment and continued debating on the time the weapons went missing.

According to Maki, her scissors went missing by the morning, but they were in her lab the night before. So someone went between 10PM and 9AM to get them.

Kirumi said that the knife was not missing at lunch this day, but was when they checked during the investigation, so it was between 1 PM and 9 PM, which was a very large period of time.

Ryoma noted that since the time frames were way too large to be investigated, so they should focus on something else.

Shuichi decided to speak about the time of death.

According to Rantaro, the death occurred about an hour before the body discovery announcement at most, but couldn’t say exactly when.

Unfortunately a lot of them went back and forth the warehouse, if not all of them. Besides, the warehouse was huge, and Gonta was in the back when Shuichi found him. So there was a possibility someone went to there without realizing there was a dead body in the room.

Which meant anyone who went there could have been a suspect.

Miu was already visibly annoyed that they couldn’t identify anything, to which Rantaro suggested they calm down and think about something else, such as how Gonta was killed.

Since no bloodstains were visible on the floor away from him, it was most likely he was killed on the spot, and with the Monokuma file suggesting he didn’t have any other injuries, he and the killer didn’t fight.

Himiko argued that they saw Gonta fighting Tenko the day before, and that he had enough physical force to knock any of them if he wanted. He would most likely fight back.

Shuichi responded there were no external injuries, and that Rantaro confirmed there were no trace of physical fight that weren’t from the day before.

That situation became a mystery, and no one was really sure what to think.

“Unless..”

Everyone turned to Korekiyo, who had a finger on his chin.

“… He got into this situation by himself.”

The words of the therapist felt heavy on the others’ minds. Kaito decided to speak up, asking if he suggested a suicide.

However a lot of evidence showed that it wasn’t the case. The murder weapon was nowhere to be seen, and he died on the spot. Besides, the evidence was scattered around, such as the bloody duct tape and the stained sheet found in different places.

Korekiyo was suggesting an assisted murder, and that Gonta agreed to die.

Kokichi thought he was manipulated into doing so, because even though Gonta was strong, he was pretty naive, so the mastermind behind the murder knew about this.

Tenko argued, saying that Gonta, even though he was pretty naive, would never agree to die for no reason.

Keebo reminded her of the motive, the time limit. So it was possible he had agreed in advance if they didn’t find a way to get through the door, nor stop the killing game.

Kaede was puzzled. Even if someone agreed to do this murder, why didn’t they take the first blood perk?

Kokichi wanted to say something, but was very hesitant in doing so. Himiko noticed it and encouraged him to say it, because she knows he isn’t stupid.

He suggested that perhaps Gonta never agreed to anything at all and all of this was a scene orchestrated by Monokuma to begin the killing game and blame one of them for it. After all the timing was perfect for him.

Monokuma chimed in, angry at the accusations, and denied this fact.

Tenko exclaimed that maybe it was the Monokubs, from the strange way they disposed of the evidence.

Some of the monokubs started arguing as well, saying that there was no way they could have touched anyone since they had no power. They couldn’t even resurrect the one and only Monokuma, how would they do anything?

Tsumugi practically jumped at the quote.

“Monokuma can’t resurrect himself? Are you saying someone else other than you did so?”

The others went silent.

“The door in the library wasn’t for you then, it was…”

“There is a mastermind behind this killing game, and they’re one of us.”

It was Kirumi, declaring this in a monotone voice.

They all looked at the maid. Monokuma was visibly pissed.

They all had relied on each other not knowing one of them was an accomplice to this game. Which meant that when Angie and Shuichi told everyone about the door, they informed the mastermind as well.

Monokuma broke the silence, saying that they should go back to the investigation this instant.

Now they were sure that Gonta had asked someone to kill him, which was the reason he didn’t fight back.

Tsumugi suggested the piece of duct tape was used so that Gonta wouldn’t scream in pain and alert the others, and the stained sheet was a cover for the killer not to spill blood on them.

Rantaro also concluded that there was a possibility the rapid stab wounds were to kill him faster, not to let him suffer.

Shuichi and the others seemed to agree on that, as hard as it was to accept the truth.

The question of the murder weapon was brought up once again. The opinions were split up, some thinking the killer used the knife, others the scissors.

But as everyone started debating on which was the more logical between the two, Shuichi sighed. “It looks like we’re split in two…”

“… Split!? Did you just say split!?”

The group turned to Monokuma once again, who presented the “morphenomal trail grounds” as he puts it.

_**[(BGM)](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D32GWbQt_Zn4&t=ZGJmNTBmZjk5MzFlOTEzMGY0YzE0NjQzYWRkMjMyMTAzYzUzZGZhZixleTMwcHdaOA%3D%3D&b=t%3AaEnQvCCauXagTyrPelg-AA&p=https%3A%2F%2Fkagazuly.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F615206076977233920%2Fbeta-au-main-story-chapter-1-deadly-life&m=1) ** _

The podiums started levitating to form two teams facing each other, divided by their opinions.

_Which one was the murder weapon?_

On the left, Keebo, Ryoma, Korekiyo, Maki, Angie, Kokichi, Himiko and Kaito  
 _The murder weapon was the pair of scissors!_

On the right, Shuichi, Rantaro, Tsumugi, Kaede, Tenko, Miu and Kirumi.  
 _The murder weapon was the knife!_

_Scrum debate, start!_

Korekiyo: The killer probably bet we wouldn’t realize the scissors went **missing**.

Shuichi: Monokuma didn’t interrupt the investigation until we found enough evidence. He would have continued until we realized they were **missing**.

Himiko: The wounds on Gonta’s body **match** the scissors!

Tsumugi: They also **match** the knife. We can’t rule out that possibility.

Kokichi: **Scissors** can be used for killing…

Rantaro: If the killer wanted to kill Gonta quickly they would have to use something sharper than **scissors**.

Ryoma: We know the killer prepared their **plan** in advance, the knife could have been taken by someone in a rush.

Kirumi: If the killer did **plan** on killing in advance, they could have taken both to confuse us.

Maki: If my **lab** was entered at night it was most likely to get a weapon without me realizing.

Kaede: Perhaps the killer didn’t think you would use your **lab** today?

Angie: The killer prepared their plan early, they would obviously use the weapon they took **in advance**!

Tenko: **In advance** can also mean this afternoon!

Kaito: We were all in the basement for something, we would have **noticed** someone leaving to take a knife!

Miu: Everyone was busy trying to open the door, they had plenty of time to take the knife without being **noticed**!

Keebo: Are you saying the scissors had **another use**?

Shuichi: Japanese scissors aren’t for killing, there could have been **another use** for them!

After that the podiums slowly got back to normal.

“Another use” wasn’t something they anticipated, but that was the only option. Kaede asked Maki what the scissors looked like.

Kirumi and Rantaro didn’t miss the dirty comment Miu made under her breath about the two girls.

Maki explained that she uses those scissors to make small cuts. She didn’t use those very often, but she had to this morning, hence why she realized they went missing.

Tenko asked what kind of thing they would even try to do with this.

Shuichi thought about it, and remembered Gonta’s ripped shirt. According to Maki, Gonta asked her to repair it. But when they checked the body, the shirt was ripped again.

Kaito was confused as to why the killer would cut it again - what would they benefit from this?

Tsumugi glanced at everyone in the trial, but Shuichi paid no attention to it.

But that question was important. Why would they even risk stealing scissors, just to cut Gonta’s shirt?

Miu was septic of Maki, since it was her lab, she could easily blame someone else for stealing the scissors.

Korekiyo quickly turned this option off, because it would be too dangerous for Maki to even talk about the scissors.

Himiko suggested they perhaps missed a detail on the scene, that there was more to this.

That’s what Shuichi had been thinking, but he didn’t seem to find the answer.

Kirumi asked the others to describe how they found the shirt.

Angie explained that other than the original rip, there were no damages to the shirt.

Maki seemed to have a flash, and asked to see the shirt. She observed it and traced carefully the cut on the shoulder with her finger.

“The thread I used to repair it is missing. There’s no doubt that the person stole it.”

Shuichi blinked. To steal a thread?

Tenko was confused as well. “Why not just use the knife to cut it? It would have been easier than to steal the scissors from Maki’s lab.”

Maki explained that a knife wasn’t made for this. A tailor could probably do it with a knife without damaging it much, but someone not experimented would prefer to use scissors instead, if they really wanted the thread intact that much.

Keebo being a robot, didn’t know what that could even be used for.

Shuichi didn’t know much, aside from sewing back clothes he didn’t know what else that could have been used for.

Korekiyo felt like they were missing something.

Ryoma shrugged it off saying that most of the times he saw threads it was on someone’s skin, but that theory was probably false.

Angie thought they were searching too far, and that it was probably to repair their own clothes.

Tenko argued saying they didn’t fight, so what would they even have to repair?

Tsumugi seemed to have been thinking for a while before finally speaking up. “What if it was something else entirely?”

Tenko looked at her. From Shuichi’s point of view, she seemed worried. “What do you mean?”

Tsumugi stared back for a few seconds before turning to Monokuma. “Don’t you find this strange that Monokuma asked for the trial to start without us finding neither the knife, nor the scissors?”

Shuichi looked down.

Korekiyo seemed to understand her reasoning. “Are you saying the killer actually has their weapon on themselves?”

She nodded. “The killer and Gonta were accomplices, yes? So Gonta ripped his shirt on purpose to get Maki to repair it. That way the killer had a thread available and didn’t have to steal it from Maki’s lab, because she would have noticed it too easily. The killer then modified their own clothes to create a pocket and carry the tools, so no one would find them.”

That explanation seemed far fetched, but Shuichi needed one last thing to confirm the theory.

The culprit would need to use a needle to sew an improvised pocket.

Maki said that the threads were attached to a sewing machine, and she would have noticed if they were cut off. However she had plenty of needles and pins in the drawers. So the culprit could have stolen one without her realizing.

Keebo still seemed septic of Tsumugi’s explanations. “Do you have any idea about who the culprit could be?”

Of course it had to be with clothes thick enough to create the pocket without needing fabric, so some of them were out of the question, like Miu and Keebo.

Shuichi looked down.

She faintly smiled, but quickly dropped it. She turned to Shuichi. “You’ve been leading the debate… I think you know the answer, right?”

Shuichi looked down. The evidence was in front of his eyes from the beginning. He could have just said so, but… Was it worth it?

“Tenko…”

He paused.

“I heard some things clinging around your waist. Like metal tools.”

Tenko looked at him with sad eyes, and then smiled.

After a long silence, Kaede spoke up. “That’s… That’s a joke right?”

Tenko looked at her with watery eyes.

“I’m sorry… Everyone.”

Shuichi felt guilty for accusing her. “I think… I should recap what happened-”

“No.” Tenko interrupted him. “You shouldn’t have to do more. I’ll…” She took a deep breath. “I’ll do it.”

“When the time limit was announced… I couldn’t just sit there. And I wasn’t the only one thinking that. I talked to Gonta in private about it, and we established the plan together.”

“We had to decide who would be the victim and who would be the murderer. So we decided to set a match the same afternoon.”

She chuckled. “Yes, when you all came, it was pretty much to watch a death match.”

“Gonta pretended to have his shirt ripped so Maki would repair it. He was in her lab for a good amount of time, so he got to know where the scissors and needles were. That night I stole them from Maki’s lab after Gonta explained to me where they were.”

“Whether I would kill him with a knife or with the scissors was actually not decided in the plan. I told him I would use a knife because it was more efficient. But I didn’t know if I had the time to take it. Thankfully I did.”

“When the time came, we knew everyone was panicking, and that no one really paid attention about who got out of the room or who came in.”

“So we both went to the warehouse at different intervals, and I… I killed him with the knife. I decided to spread the evidence as an excuse to frame the kubs and see what they would say in the trial.”

“I didn’t want to take the first blood perk. My objective… Was to get as much information as we could during the trial.”

She smiled. “And it turned out to be a huge success!”

“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. Perhaps I- we took the selfish route by putting you all through a trial, but I thought it was better than you all continuing this game without any hints on the situation.”

The silence felt heavy. When they all entered the room they thought it was a merciless killer, but Tenko’s intentions were more than that.

Monokuma started laughing. The trial came to an end, and it was time to vote. Himiko yelled that he was not going to kill her. Kaede joined in as a desperate attempt. Kirumi was unsure but said she would not let some robotic bear dictate what she wanted to do or not.

Kokichi panicked and tried to reach out to Himiko but backed out before touching her shoulder. He tried to tell her that Monokuma still had the exisals by his side, but she wasn’t listening.

Tenko yelled to get the attention of the others. Reassuring them that it was okay, this was what she deserved.

Monokuma laughed, and announced the voting time open.

Shuichi reluctantly voted, like the others.

Tenko was glad to see all the votes for her. She smiled with tears rolling down her face.

“I’m glad I was able to meet you all, even if it was just for a couple of days.”

“But hey, if everyone was cooperating to get through the door, I’m sure you’ll be able to stop this game!”

“I know you can. Anyone could have taken the first blood perk but you didn’t. I’m sure you can do this.”

“Now you have more info to continue, and even if someone among us is a traitor, I’m sure you’ll all be able to corner them.”

“I’m counting on you.”

A majority of the others seemed in denial, they refused to believe that Tenko had killed Gonta, that she was slowly approaching her death with a smile on her face.

But it was a death she accepted the second she made the deal with Gonta.

It was a death she was walking to with honor, not trying to run away.

“Hey Monokuma.”

“Let’s get this over with.”

Himiko yelled and ran towards Tenko.

Monokuma laughed as he used a toy hammer to press the bright red button in front of him.

**GAME OVER**

_Tenko has been found guilty._

_Time for the punishment!_

_**[(BGM)](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fyoutu.be%2FiHTyPzvC77w&t=YmE0ZGRlMzkwZDI3YjMyODg4NzhjODM4MzcxNmU4ZWE3OTViZGFlOCxleTMwcHdaOA%3D%3D&b=t%3AaEnQvCCauXagTyrPelg-AA&p=https%3A%2F%2Fkagazuly.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F615206076977233920%2Fbeta-au-main-story-chapter-1-deadly-life&m=1) **  
_

Before Himiko could reach her, Tenko’s neck was grabbed by a metal claw, and dragged her away to the elevator.

The elevator closed and instead of going up, it went straight underground. She was holding onto the walls to keep balance, but stumbled onto the floor when the elevator brutally stopped.

She slowly got up when all the walls of the elevator fell down. She couldn’t see anything that was further than a few meters away because of the darkness, but she could clearly see that the floor was covered by thousands of mannequins.

She took only a few steps away from the elevator when what looked like hundreds of pair of pink glowing eyes lightened up to stare at her, but she couldn’t see the rest of their bodies.

The closest pair of eyes slowly approached to reveal a mannequin made to look like Gonta, with several holes in its body, filled with a blood colored paint.

The other mannequins revealed themselves, each looking like the rest of the group, also with “blood” filled holes in them.

**Enemy of the harmonious world  
Ultimate judoka Tenko Chabashira’s execution: Executed**

The first mannequins started jumping on her, and all she could do was to fight them. They were not hard to throw away, but there were way too many for her to handle.

The Maki-shaped ones were throwing needles, the Rantaro-shaped ones were throwing scalpels, some of them were physically fighting her with punches or were just trying to grab her.

As the hundreds of mannequins attacked in different ways, with different weapons, Tenko was starting to get exhausted, and even more injured, with countless cuts on her body.

She had stopped counting how many of them she had thrown away when she collapsed on the floor.

The mannequins stopped attacking. Tenko raised her head to see that they were moving out of someone’s way.

A Gonta shaped mannequin, towering above her, looking at her with soulless pink eyes.

A lever-rope appeared next to him, and the puppet pulled it.

Countless blades appeared one by one from the floor, stabbing all the other mannequins… And the final one, impaling her in the chest.

_Tenko Chabashira, the ultimate judoka, was dead._

This felt unreal. Shuichi watched with fearful eyes the scene that just unrolled in front of his eyes.

They had lost two friends today and learned that one of them was orchestrating the whole thing.

No one dared to say anything.

Monokuma rubbed it in their faces, saying that despair was the most wonderful feeling in this world. He told them to rest because the killing game would continue very soon.

The ride in the elevator was silent. Shuichi looked at the spot Tenko was when they went to the trial room, now empty. He didn’t know her well, but that was not a reason not to feel bad for sending her to her death. A painful one, that is.

Some looked almost indifferent, but perhaps it was not to show their weakness.

A majority of the group decided to go straight to bed, but Shuichi decided to walk for a while, to get some fresh air.

After some time he laid on the ground, staring at the sky beyond the giant iron cage. He almost felt like sleeping here but knew this was a bad idea. He was lost in thoughts until a familiar voice talked to him.

“Can’t sleep?”

Shuichi turned around. It was Kaito. Both sat down next to each other.

“I just wanted some fresh air.”

“I get you.”

They went silent for a while, but it was fine. Perhaps just the other’s presence was enough.

“The game’s already started, huh?”

Kaito didn’t even expect an answer. That was more of a statement than a question.

“Tenko… Has faith in us. She told us we were strong but…” the smaller boy’s voice trailed off.

“You can’t help but think this isn’t over?” the taller one finished the sentence.

“Yeah. I don’t think Monokuma is gonna give us a time limit again, but I know things aren’t gonna get better.”

Kaito couldn’t even argue with him. He got up and offered his hand to Shuichi. “I know this whole situation sucks, but perhaps we should stick together for now, yeah?”

Shuichi looked at him, surprised by this change of attitude and took the other’s hand to get up. “Alright. Thanks a lot Kaito.”

They both returned to their dorms. They saw Kokichi and Himiko sitting further away in the courtyard. Unlike the other times Shuichi saw them, it looked like Kokichi was trying to reassure Himiko, who was feeling down, even though he tried to keep a distance between them.

Tomorrow would be another day.


	5. Chapter 2: The wolf and the lamb - Daily life (part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end of the trial left them alone and afraid, as Tenko and Gonta sacrificed themselves to give them more time to escape. But is it possible that a traitor, a mastermind is among them?

Day 5 since the beginning of the game.  
7 AM.

Shuichi had trouble sleeping that night, the vision of Gonta’s corpse and Tenko brutally dying was playing on loop in his mind.

He saw the first rays of sunshine through his window and decided to stop trying to sleep. Perhaps he could try playing a soothing song in his lab, that would make him feel better, he hopes.

After taking a shower and getting dressed up, he left his room. The morning announcement was in an hour, but he needed to go out. He went down the stairs and noticed Kaede leaving her room as well. She had a faint smile on her face, but Shuichi could tell she hadn’t sleep well either.

“Good morning, Kaede.”

“Good morning!”

“Good morning…”

A third voice made its entrance. It was Maki. The three decided to go to Shuichi’s lab, after he suggested them to go there for some time before the morning announcement.

Shuichi was slowly mentally waking up, meanwhile Maki and Kaede were chatting behind him. Kaede was complimenting Maki on her ability to help in the trial, but Maki brushed it off as basic tailor knowledge.

But the moment they opened the main door, they were met with an indescribable sight.

One of the Monokubs, Monokid, was there, completely destroyed, and so presumably dead. The robot’s foot was hanging from a rope and the rest of his body in small pieces scattered across the floor, with small traces of blood around it.

They stood there, completely baffled by what they were seeing. The rules stated that any type of violence against the headmaster was prohibited, but did that include the Monokubs? Who even was able to-

Shuichi’s thoughts were interrupted when Monokuma popped up out of nowhere.

“Boohoo! My precious Monokid, destroyed and shattered to pieces! Such despair!”

Kaede panicked. “N-none of us actually did this I-”

“Nah, Monodam did it.”

She blinked. “Huh?”

The bear didn’t look shaken up at all. “He was babbling about everyone getting along and Monokid getting in the way, so he destroyed him.”

Maki rolled her eyes. “What a father you are.”

Monokuma shrugged. “Hey, Monokid wanted to include him in miss hero karateka’s execution, but SOMEONE can’t do their job properly!”

Shuichi was extremely confused. The monokubs were killing each other? That would be for the best, but who knows what they have in mind.

“Anyway, shoo! I gotta clean this mess.” he grumbles. “Kids these days…”

They left without saying a word. They would have to explain once everyone was there. Or perhaps that wouldn’t be necessary if Monokuma decided to do the job himself.

When they arrived at the violinist’s lab, Shuichi asked if they had a specific song in mind, but Kaede told him to play the song he wants to play. After all it was his idea to play some music. And besides, neither she nor Maki were music experts.

Shuichi went through some of the music sheets before finding one of his favorite pieces.

He placed it on the desk and sat down to play. Unfortunately that was a song not meant for violin solos, and was often played by both a pianist and a violinist. But that didn’t matter. Shuichi wanted to play a song to calm both himself and the girls down. Not to perform like the whole world was watching.

(BGM)

Kaede smiled and took out a notebook to start writing. Maki closed her eyes and let herself get lost in her thoughts.

When the song ended, Shuichi looked at the two girls. Maki was sleeping on Kaede’s shoulder and the other girl was violently blushing and unable to write anything down. She looked at the boy with distress written on her face.

Shuichi chuckled. “Do you want to wake her up?”

Kaede was a blushing mess. “I- uh…” she took a deep breath. “To be honest I don’t mind her sleeping on my shoulder. It… Feels kind of nice actually.” she wrapped her fingers around the sleeping girl’s. “I think I’m gonna stay here for a while. I want to enjoy my time here even though it’s not exactly the best situation.”

She rested her head on Maki’s. “And even if I were to die here, I at least want to be with the people I love.”

Shuichi smiled. He was happy for them. But he felt sad remembering the situation they are in.

He left the room to give the girls some space. They would probably be woken up by the morning announcement, but at least they would have enjoyed their time in his lab, he thinks.

He went outside to get some fresh air and noticed Kokichi sitting on the grass, looking at nothing in particular, so he decided to join him.

However the smaller boy got startled by the taller one’s sudden appearance. Shuichi apologized and Kokichi brushed it off, that it was just him being himself. The violinist noticed him stepping back to make some space between them, even though they weren’t that close.

After some silence, Shuichi tried to start a conversation. “You and Himiko look rather close, did you two become friends?”

The first reaction of the boy in black was to raise the collar of his sweater above his nose to hide his face. “I… Yeah, you could say that. She is nice to me, but I don’t know why.”

Shuichi thought for a second. “Himiko looks genuinely kind, compassionate and energetic, it feels like she wants to share this positivity, perhaps that’s why she hangs out with you.”

Kokichi didn’t seem to agree, but decided not to respond.

After a moment of silence Kokichi got up and brushed off the dirt on his sweater. “I just needed some fresh air, I’ll go back to my room.” he didn’t even wait for Shuichi’s answer to leave.

He sighed. He didn’t know if it was because he said something wrong, if Kokichi didn’t like him or simply because he was shy, but Shuichi was a bit troubled by the end of the conversation. He hadn’t heard much from him, but he could tell he needed some help. He hoped Himiko was helping him in some way.

Shuichi decided to go to the dining hall, to give a hand with the breakfast if possible.

Kirumi was alone in the kitchen, cutting some apples with a precision that was almost scary. The way she held the knife to cut the fruits was almost hypnotic.

“Do you need anything?” she asked, snapping him out of his thoughts. In hindsight her gaze was terrifying.

“Ah- no actually. I was wondering if you needed any help with the breakfast.”

She got back to cutting the apples and simply replied “I am a maid. It’s my duty to make those tasks.”

Shuichi wanted to respond, but she probably wouldn’t take no as an answer. He left to go to the dining hall, where actually no one was there.

The morning announcement played, and Shuichi just rubbed his eyes. The others started coming as well.

Kirumi brought the food and drinks, to serve everyone. She had remembered by now what was everyone’s favorite food. Shuichi got his blueberry pancakes, but decided to wait for Kaito and Rantaro, who weren’t here yet.

It didn’t take long for them to arrive. Kaito looked a bit tired, but that was to be expected from what happened the day before.

Rantaro, Miu, Kaito and Shuichi ate in silence, mostly because no one had any conversation subject in mind.

Soon after, Monokuma showed up. Claiming it was to give a prize for surviving the first class trial.

If looks could kill, Kirumi and Ryoma would have destroyed the robotic bear as soon as he showed up.

Keebo let out a robotic sigh. “Just get to the point. Even though this doesn’t concern me, the others would like to eat in peace.”

The rest of the Monokubs showed up as well with of course everyone noticing the blue one’s absence. After another petty argument, they gave the rewards, which were “a dragon gem, an ocarina, an ancient passport and a hexagonal crank from some zombie game” as they put it.

The bears left soon after. Shuichi was holding the ocarina to inspect it. That looked like a real one, at least.

Rantaro suggested they went to inspect the academy in groups, to see if there were anymore hints about their whereabouts. He suggested 4 groups, one for each item.

Shuichi was leading the group with the ocarina, which were himself, Kaito and Miu.

Tsumugi, Ryoma, Kirumi and Keebo decided to take care of the passport.

Korekiyo, Angie, Maki and Kaede would investigate the crank.

Rantaro led the last group with the dragon gem. His partners were Kokichi, Himiko and Angie.

After finishing their breakfast they began to investigate.

They decided to look outside since two groups were already indoors. They later found a building that looked abandoned, but had a a sign with notes in front of it. Shuichi may not be an ocarina expert, but he could try playing the notes. After a few tries he managed to get it right, and the plant covering the door withered away, to the other two’s surprise.

The building was a pool, according to the entrance sign.

Miu smiled. “Nice! We could do a pool party sometime!”

Kaito winced at the remark. “Yeah…. Without me.”

“Come on… I’m sure you have a sexy body underneath that shirt…”

Kaito’s eyes widened at the flirty response. “What?? My body is fine, but back off! I just don’t like swimming!”

She chuckled. “Is it because you can’t swim, then?”

“No! I just said I don’t *like* swimming!”

The two bickered for some time before Shuichi fake-coughed to get their attention.

“Perhaps we should look inside.”

The pool area had a nice warm and modern aesthetic, and had surprisingly less weeds than the exterior let believe. Miu whistled in admiration.

“Damn, damn! That looks good, but it might as well become my playground!”

Shuichi raised an eyebrow. “Huh? Is swimming one of your passions?”

She laughed. “Nah, but look at this!” she extended her arms, to show the walls around them. “That’s a perfect canvas for me! I’m a street artist, it’s my job to paint the entire walls just as I please!”

Kaito looked skeptic. “Won’t Monokuma count it as vandalizing? Is it in the school rules?”

Before Miu could think about a response, the four remaining monokubs appeared out of nowhere. The yellow one talked first.

“Painting the walls isn’t considered vandalizing, nor it is against the school rules.”

The pink one continued. “However if you do vandalize as in destroying or removing equipment, it will be replaced!”

The red one pointed at the set of rules they hadn’t noticed. “Also, swimming at nighttime is against the rules! Even touching the water is prohibited!”

Monosuke shrugged. “It would be unfortunate for someone to have an accident involving someone drowning.”

Shuichi imagined it was because it would be “boring” for them to have a class trial where someone just drowned by themselves.

The bears left. The three friends looked at each other. “Now what?”

They decided to get the others to see if they were successful in their research. They found Tsumugi’s team but Kirumi was missing. They had just found out that Kirumi’s lab opened, but she didn’t want the others to disrupt her while she was rearranging her stuff. They had found it strange but the lab didn’t look suspicious from what they saw.

They decided to help Rantaro’s group since they were the closest to them and the passport only gave access to one lab.

They found Rantaro in his own lab, that just opened. It wasn’t the largest, but still had 3 minimalist beds, a few shelves that Rantaro was exploring and a large work space. He noticed the group and waved at them.

“So, have you guys found anything? Come in if you want.”

Perhaps seven people were a bit much in the lab, so the rest of Tsumugi’s group decided to find the others from Rantaro’s group in the meantime.

The three others stepped in the lab and looked around. The lab had this ruined aspect, but more because it was deliberately damaged than abandoned like the rest of the school.

Shuichi looked at the shelf Rantaro was going through. “What type of products are in there?”

Rantaro put a white plastic bottle back where it was from. “Mostly emergency stuff medics use. Bandages, crutches, a lot of disinfectant products, medical alcohol and tools for emergency surgeries.”

Kaito looked a bit worried. “You think anything in there could be used to… You know…”

The medic scratched the back of his neck. “If you’re talking about the chemical products nothing can exactly kill you if taken in a small dose, so don’t even try. I would notice if something went missing from my lab. Also…”

He took a small bottle, opened it and approached it to Kaito’s nose. “That stuff smells a lot. It’s easy to tell when it’s in your plate or drink.”

Kaito backed off pretty quickly.

“So unless you decide to drink an entire bottle by yourself, you should be fine.”

Suddenly, Himiko ran to them with Kokichi by her side. “Miu! You’re here!”

She got up. “What is it, twinkle?”

The smaller girl smiled. “Your lab is open! Kaede’s lab is open too but since she’s not here yet…”

The street artist’s eyes widened. “For real? C’mon let’s go!” she almost ran off.

Once arrived, they saw the spacious room that was Miu’s lab. She looked around in awe the empty walls waiting to be filled. The walls were light grey and the room was well illuminated by the neon lights on the ceiling.

“I think I’m in heaven.” her sparkly eyes made Rantaro chuckle.

“There’s a door right here, is there a second room?”

They turned to the door with a window in the middle. Himiko shrugged. “We didn’t check since it’s not our lab.”

From what they were seeing, it looked like some kind of chemical lab. her eyes widened. “No way… Is that…”

She opened the door to get a better look, and got overjoyed by this room. Everyone else was quite confused, except for Kaito, apparently.

“Miu, what is this?” Kokichi asked her.

She laughed. “You uncultured swine! Remember that I make my own fluorescent paint!” she pointed her thumb to her face with a proud grin. “That’s what makes my work different from the others.”

She went the shelf in the corner of the room and opened it. It was full of colorants and chemical products that Shuichi assumed to be the ingredients used to make the paint she was talking about.

“It’s perfect.” she says.

Rantaro took one of the bottles and examined it. “I understand why your lab has this part in it. But that stuff doesn’t look safe to manipulate.”

She flicked the boy’s nose, snatched the bottle with two fingers and took a few steps away. “You don’t have to worry about it, sweetie.” She turned her head to him. “You’re talking to ‘the firefly of the city’ in person. That stuff is child’s play for me now.”

Kokichi didn’t look reassured at all. “Still… An accident can happen really easily.”

Himiko put her hand on his shoulder and smiled. “I think we should trust her with her stuff. She seems to know what she’s doing.”

After the street artist’s lab it was time to check the other labs. When they left the lab they met the last group who was done checking with the crank.

Apparently the area behind a wall was opened now, with a casino and a love hotel.

Miu chuckled. “Damn, does that bear wants us to kill each other or to fuck each other?”

Korekiyo sighed. “At this point I feel like I should stop wondering what his intentions are.”

They decided to join the rest of the group to Kaede’s lab. It looked similar to the library, but it had a warmer atmosphere, and a large desk in the middle. The lab looked like a library that would belong in a fantasy novel.

They were about to close their research, until Tsumugi showed up, panting.

“There’s… One last lab that opened.”

Rantaro raised an eyebrow. “We scanned the entire building, are you saying there was a hidden room?”

She shook her head. “No it’s… Another building.”

They went outside and noticed that there was, indeed, a new building, not so far from the shrine of judgement. It looked like a cottage, which was weird when you compared it to the rest of the buildings.

“Have you seen which lab it was?” Shuichi asked. She didn’t even look at the him.

“It’s better to show you in person.”

After a short walk they stood before the building and Tsumugi opened the door.

It was Gonta’s lab.

The room was invaded by plants, there were shelves filled with books and other shelves had animal skulls and bones it it. It sent a shiver down Shuichi’s spine, but that was to be expected for a zoologist.

The lab would have made Gonta happy, but he wasn’t there anymore. Now it was just this empty building that looked like a hunter’s shack.

No one was sure about what they should do with the lab, so Rantaro suggested they should leave it as it is, just like Tenko’s lab.

After a moment of silence, Angie asked for the attention of the group. When she was exploring the second floor, she found a treasure chest with some sort of flashlight in it. Since she didn’t know what to do with it she asked Monokuma to help her, to everyone else’s dismay.

After she said that, a bell ringed and Monokuma appeared on the monitors of Gonta’s lab.

“This is an important announcement! Everyone, please gather at the gym!”

The screen shut off almost instantly. They had no choice but to do as the bear said.

Once at the gym, Monokuma showed up as well with the peculiar flashlight. He explained it was a flashback light, and would be used to help them recover their memories.

Shuichi glanced at Rantaro, who looked already annoyed. “It’s already your fault our memories are lost. Why should we trust you about this and why on earth would a flashlight help us recover memories?”

The bear laughed. “Aww, I bet there were a lot of naysayers and skeptics when the telephone was invented too.”

“That’s not the point.”

“The flashback light can treat various symptoms of memory loss, the light it emits stimulates the basal ganglia and hippocampus. Not just that, but physical-”

He interrupted himself. “Explications are boring, but basically it works like that.” he disappeared right after.

“Now hold on a sec-” Rantaro didn’t even finish his sentence.

Shuichi crossed his arms. “Do you think we should use it, Rantaro?”

The green haired teen picked up the flashback light and examined it. He took a few seconds to think about an answer. “That flashlight looks extremely fishy, not gonna lie.”

Ryoma rolled his eyes. “Duh. It’s Monokuma giving it to us. But we won’t be able to investigate anything if we don’t take risks. Unless you have any clue on how to use a goddamn pool at our advantage.”

Rantaro sighed. “As much as I hate to admit he’s right.”

Miu looked skeptical, but agreed. “I can’t tell anything since I know nothing about human anatomy but I trust you.”

The others agreed as well, and Angie turned on the flashlight.

The memories flowed through their brains, and after what felt like an eternity the world went back to normal. Everyone was shocked by what they remembered.

Erasing their own memories… Fleeing because of the ultimate hunt… But not being able to remember why they were being chased in the first place.

Shuichi was extremely disturbed. He remembered running and running, but felt frustrated because he had no idea why. The flashback light didn’t give all the info they wanted. He looked at the “leader” of the group to get his opinion.

Rantaro looked like he had seen something way more traumatizing.

There was this mix of confusion and anger on his face that scared Shuichi at first. he closed his eyes, took a deep breath and stood straight.

“I’m guessing everyone saw the same thing?” he asked the group.

“If we’re talking about fleeing the ultimate hunt, then yes. However I am unable to remember why we were the targets.” Keebo replied.

Tsumugi put a finger on her chin. “There is a possibility we were fleeing this killing game targeted for us ultimates, and we lost.”

Hoshi huffed. “That wouldn’t even surprise me at this point.”

Korekiyo narrowed his eyes. “Erasing our memories so we wouldn’t become targets anymore for this twisted game.”

Angie extended her arms in joy. “Let’s talk about the positive news! At least we know why we’re here!”

Maki crossed her arms. “Those are just speculations. We don’t know for sure.”

Kaede smiled at her. “But that’s one more step in our investigation!”

That didn’t seem to reassure a lot of them, though.

Kirumi suggested they should try to calm down and think about this over a meal.

They agreed and walked to the dining hall. Shuichi overheard a conversation between Keebo and Kirumi, with the maid asking him how did he even recover memories, since the flashlight was functioning for humans. Keebo was confused at first, but explained that his vision was simply an artificial version of the humans’, which was probably why he remembered as well.

After a calm lunch, they left in separate ways to do their activities.

Miu and Kaito were in the street artist’s lab, presumably painting.

Maki was sewing in her lab. Tsumugi and Angie were here too, probably to keep her company.

Kaede, Kokichi and Himiko were at the casino, for some reason.

Kirumi and Korekiyo were relaxing in the maid’s lab. Now that Shuichi thought about it, he hadn’t seen what the lab looked like yet.

Rantaro and Ryoma were in the medic’s lab, but judging by Rantaro’s mood earlier, he preferred not to disturb him.

That left Keebo, who was in Gonta’s lab, for some reason.

Shuichi and Keebo were not exactly friends, but that was an opportunity for him to get to know the robot better.

When the violinist arrived, Keebo was staring at nothing in particular. He was like frozen in place.

“Keebo?”

He didn’t move.

“Um… Keebo?”

He put a hand on his shoulder. The robot got startled and emitted some strange noise before actually talking.

“Sorry, it looks like my circuits went off for a second.”

Shuichi shook his head. “No, it’s alright. Are you okay though?”

He smiled. “Yes, I’m okay. I sometimes space out like this, nothing to worry about.”

Shuichi looked around. “Why were you in Gonta’s lab though?”

Keebo gently passed his fingers on one of the shelves not to damage anything. “I don’t really know. I wanted to know more about him. What he was into. And I thought the lab would give me a clue about this.”

He opened one of the windows and took on of the smaller skulls, which looked like it belonged to a rodent.

Shuichi was curious. “Do you think these are real?”

The robot gave him the skull. “I cannot tell, since my sense of touch is not very developed.”

He took the skull and brushed his fingers on it. “Those are replicas. It’s plaster, I think.”

“I see.”

They put back the skull and left the lab. They sat on the ground and talked to pass the time. It was mostly them comparing their ways to live, as a robot and a human. At rare occasions the robot would lag for a bit, even if it was just for a few seconds. Perhaps that was the reason he didn’t call himself the ultimate robot.

~ I’m bad at Free time events episode 1, just consider it’s the evening now ~

Everyone ate dinner more or less separately, to Kirumi’s dismay. Himiko assured her that she didn’t need to stay the entire time, and that it was okay for her to take a break. The maid sighed and left the dining hall, saying she will be in her lab if anyone needed anything.

Shuichi ran up to her when no one was looking.

“What is it, Shuichi?” she didn’t seem mad or anything. Perhaps it was just her natural aura that was frightening.

“Um… Could I visit you lab if you’re okay with it? I was curious since I didn’t even get to see it.” he was more worried that she was hiding something, but he decided not to say that.

Kirumi looked like she was analyzing his expression to see what his intentions were.

“Sure. Follow me.”

The more he walked alongside her, the more worried he became. A part of him was begging him to run away and pretend nothing ever happened, but he couldn’t bring himself to do so.

When the two arrived at the door, Shuichi unconsciously held his breath.

“You look tense. Are you okay?”

The question startled him. “Ah!- Sorry, I’m fine, don’t worry.”

She opened the door. The lab looked like a dining hall from a Gothic mansion, it was not very illuminated. The furniture looked fancy, with expensive plates and glasses exposed. 

“Is there anything you needed to see?” she asked.

Shuichi looked around. “What even are in those drawers? We got the everything necessary in the kitchen after all.”

She approached one of the drawers and opened it. “It’s mostly fancier than in the kitchen. I’m guessing that would be to fit a certain ‘aesthetic’, like in the others’ lab. It’s not uncommon for me to work in those large mansions.”

Shuichi chuckled. “You too, huh?”

She raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“I’m used to perform private concerts in rich people’s homes. It’s the type of wealth I’ll probably never achieve.”

The maid sighed. “Sometimes I do wish to take a break. My job can be really exhausting when it comes to certain types of clients.”

He faintly smiled. “I cannot imagine how difficult it must be to be a maid full time, but performing for hours for two or three people at most isn’t easy, even with experience.”

“I understand.”

She thought for a few seconds. “Please do not take offense in what I say, but I can see that you lack confidence, whether it is about leading the group or simply in social interactions.”

A shiver went down Shuichi’s spine. “Do I?”

Her eyes widened. “Oh, pardon me if this sounded strange. Those are just the impressions the class trial gave me. What I meant is…”

She paused for a second, then sighed. “If… Another class trial occurs, perhaps the culprit won’t be as merciful as Tenko. Perhaps cornering them would be necessary, and being passive would lead to nothing.”

“For a reason I can’t point out, the others followed your lead, so I did as well. But I suggest you work on your confidence.”

“Of course we shouldn’t rely on you too much, I know that better than anyone else as a maid. But that would also help the group in those hard times.”

Shuichi didn’t know how to respond. That sounded right, but he was surprised nonetheless. “Thanks a lot, Kirumi.”

He waved at her and left her lab. He exhaled a deep breath he didn’t know he was holding. Perhaps he could talk to Kaito about this, he who seemed really confident in himself. But the nighttime announcement was approaching, and according to his monopad, Kaito was already in his room, so perhaps the next day would be better.

Shuichi took a shower and let himself fall onto his bed. Tomorrow would be another day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lab locations  
> -  
> Rantaro: Replaces Maki’s lab.  
> Kirumi: Replaces Himiko’s lab.  
> Miu: Replaces Ryoma’s lab.  
> Kaede: Replaces Gonta’s lab.  
> Gonta: Replaces K1-B0′s lab.


	6. Chapter 2: The wolf and the lamb - Daily life (part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The remaining students explored the new opened labs, belonging to Rantaro, Kirumi, Miu, Kaede and Gonta. Perhaps they will make use of them?

Day 6 since the beginning of the game.  
7:30 AM.

Shuichi felt like he slept better than the previous night. The sun was shining through the window, it was enough to wake him up. He rubbed his eyes and glanced around his room, looking at nothing in particular.

It was then that he noticed something on the table of his room. A colorful pad that didn’t look like his monopad.

He took the tablet to take a look at it. There was written “Kubs pad” on the back. He frowned, and when he touched the screen, the tablet lightened up and a video started playing.

On the screen he could recognize his own silhouette on a teal-blue background, with written in flashy letters:

_Shuichi Saihara’s Motive video  
What is your motive!?_

And Monokuma’s voice talking cheerfully. “Alright! Back by popular demand, it’s time for the motive video! Who’s the most imp-”

Shuichi turned off the tablet. He stared at the turned off gadget with wide eyes.

“What even was that?” he asked himself. Perhaps talking to the others about it would be a good idea.

He got dressed up, put the strange tablet in his pocket and left his room.

Keebo was in the hallway, with a similar tablet in his hand.

“Hello Shuichi. Nice to see you up.”

Shuichi’s eyes were still on the tablet. “You got one of these too?”

Keebo looked at the item. “Yes, it was on the table this morning, when I was done charging. However I turned it off when I saw ‘motive video’.”

The other boy sighed in relief. “I’m not alone then.”

The two went to the dining hall. Tsumugi, Korekiyo, Kirumi, Ryoma and Rantaro were already here. There was a pile of 5 of those tablets on the table.

Korekiyo sipped his tea and put down his cup. “You also had those ‘motive videos’ I see.”

Keebo showed his’. “I can see that you gathered the tablets. Do we have to put them here?”

Rantaro shrugged. “The others didn’t watch theirs either, so for now we’re putting them here until we decide what to do with them.”

Ryoma was tapping his fingers on the table. “Kokichi went back to his dorm to get his. Speaking of which…”

The small boy appeared with his tablet. “I got it.”

The three put their tablets with the others. All they could do was wait for the others.

Shuichi wasn’t too much in the mood to talk, so he listened to the nearby conversations. Maki was talking about how she thought she had a strange dream but didn’t remember any of it, Ryoma and Rantaro were talking about the latter’s lab and Kirumi was telling Keebo about traditional meals she learned to cook for her job.

About 15 minutes after the morning announcement, everyone was there, and all of the tablets were reunited.

Angie was swinging her legs under the table. “Shall we watch all those videos together? At least we’re sure no one hides anything from anyone!”

Kirumi was visibly not pleased. “If those videos are about the most important people in our lives, watching them would mean falling into Monokuma’s trap.”

Ryoma looked up to the maid. “Stop sugarcoating this. I’m sure at least one of us already watched their video and decided to pretend they didn’t.”

Kokichi’s voice was almost unheard. “I would still like some privacy…”

Everyone started debating. Rantaro suddenly got up and asked for everyone’s attention.

“I understand some of us want some privacy about our personal lives, but those videos will probably make us remember important elements from our past and perhaps the Ultimate hunt, and we can’t exactly completely ignore them.”

He continued. “I discussed the issue with Korekiyo to know what could be a good compromise to reach. Some of us would like to keep their life private, which I understand perfectly, since we didn’t live through the same things. However it is a risk we have to take if we want to recover at least a bit of our own memories.” 

Kirumi raised an eyebrow. “So? What is this solution you suggest?”

Korekiyo responded. “We create groups of 3 or 4 people trusting each other enough to show their videos to the group. We fix a moment to watch those videos, and after that no one is allowed to talk to anyone outside their group about what they saw in the others’ video. Of course you can show your own video to the rest of us if you want to.”

Shuichi put a finger on his chin. That sounded like a doable plan. He didn’t have much to hide, but he hoped the more reserved people were okay with this.

“Do any of you have any objections? Please speak up if that’s the case. I wish to hear the opinion of everyone.” Rantaro’s voice sounded gentle yet confident. Shuichi would be lying if he said he didn’t envy him.

For about ten seconds everyone just glanced at each other. From Shuichi’s point of view, Kirumi and Kokichi were not comfortable, but were not saying anything. That, of course, didn’t stay undetected by the medic.

“Kirumi, do you wish to say anything?” he asked.

She sighed. “I would very much like my personal life not to be revealed to anyone, but I suppose I don’t have a choice.”

Rantaro fidgeted with his necklace. “Unfortunately it wouldn’t be fair to ask everyone else to reveal it and let one person watch the video by themselves. We established the rule that no one in the group was allowed to talk about what they saw in the others’ video outside of their group.”

Everyone was staring at her at this point. “Fine. I accept.”

“What about you, Kokichi?” Rantaro asked.

The small teen got startled. “Oh, it’s just um… Do we really get to choose the groups?”

He smiled. “Yes, we’ll just try to make sure the groups are composed of 3 or 4 people of our choice.”

Himiko gave him a pat in the back. “If you want we can be together in a group, we just need someone else!”

He smiled faintly. “I… I accept, then.”

Rantaro exhaled a breath and smiled at the group. “At least we’re getting somewhere.”

It took them a while to decide, but the groups were formed.

The first group were Shuichi, Kaito, Miu and Korekiyo.

The second group were Kokichi, Himiko and Rantaro.

The third group were Ryoma, Kirumi and Keebo.

And the last group were Maki, Kaede, Tsumugi and Angie.

They decided to watch the videos the next day morning, to leave the groups more time to get to know each other better.

At least they managed to get through this, for now. Kaito asked where the tablets would go, in case someone tried to watch their video.

They decided to lock all the tablets in Rantaro’s lab. Since a majority of them trusted him, he was chosen to keep the key to the lab.

~ Time skip, my old friend ~

_5 PM._

Shuichi couldn’t help but think about the motive videos Monokuma gave them this morning.

After spending some time alone in his lab, he decided to go outside for a bit. He came across Kokichi carrying a small bag and Himiko without her coat on, the cloth rather used like some sort of bag.

“Oh, hey Shuichi!” Himiko joyfully said.

Shuichi blinked in confusion. “What are you two doing?”

“We were with Kaede yesterday at the casino and somehow the machine we were playing with broke and gave us a ton of monocoins! So we’re using them.”

Kokichi scratched his neck. “I feel like I’m to blame for this…”

She giggled. “Don’t be sorry, we got all these cool items, and since the MonoMono machine broke as well we got to keep the coins we used!”

The smaller boy was embarrassed by the events that happened, but he didn’t look really sad about it.

“I mean Kaede got a ton of coins too, I think she bought some sort of key?” she shrugged. “I didn’t pay too much attention to it.”

Shuichi knew exactly what she meant, but preferred to stay silent about it.

“So you guys got all of those items from the MonoMono machine for free?”

Himiko smiled with glee. “Yup! And it was things either I or Kokichi liked! Cool, right?” she elbowed him.

Kokichi stuttered. “R-Right…”

The two went their way and Himiko waved at Shuichi. “See ya later!”

He didn’t really know what to do before dinner, so he joined Rantaro outside. They talked for a while before Kaito approached them.

“I was looking for you two!”

Shuichi blinked. “Do you need us for something, Kaito?”

“We’re gonna have drinks at the pool, wanna come?”

Rantaro got up and brushed off the dirt on his coat. “That would be nice. Who will be there?”

The biker looked enthusiastic. “There will be Miu, you two and I. Oh and Kiyo decided to join in as well.”

Shuichi sighed in relief. At least it wasn’t too much of a big thing. Not that he hated the others, but a hang-out session with a few “close” friends felt more comfortable for him than a giant party.

They walked to the pool and saw Kirumi and Miu holding drinks entering the building.

“Oh, Kirumi is joining too?” Shuichi asked.

Kaito shrugged. “We simply asked her to help us with the drinks, I don’t think she is gonna stay though.”

When they opened the door, the two young women were setting the drinks and snacks at the table.

Miu waved at them. “So you guys came, huh?”

Rantaro smiled. “I figured it would be nice to chat as a group of friends, so yeah.”

Kiyo was observing the pool area. Rantaro called him so they could sit down and chat.

Kirumi left, saying she didn’t want to disrupt their group, and that her task was done.

The drinks had bright colors, but that was to be expected by cocktails. Korekiyo took the glass in his hands to observe the gradient.

“We really should thank Kirumi for her hard work preparing these.”

Kaito laughed. “But hey, we won’t know if they’re good unless we drink!”

They all cheered, to forget about the killing game just for a few minutes.

Shuichi approached the drink to his nose to smell it. The alcohol smell was strong, but the fruit smell was able to cover it up a little.

He looked at the others, they hadn’t touched their drink yet. Rantaro and Korekiyo were talking about the pool area’s aesthetic, but Miu was looking at her drink with unease, and just when he was about to ask her what was wrong, her gaze shifted to Kaito approaching the glass to his lips.

It felt so sudden. Miu got up, slammed her hands on the table and yelled.

“DON’T DRINK THIS, IT’S POISONED!!”

The rest of the group was startled by the sudden reaction, especially Kaito, whose eyes shifted from the drink to his best friend, who had tears in the corner of her eyes and was visibly trembling.

There was a small moment of silence that felt like an eternity.

Rantaro was confused, but managed to mumble out “What are you-”

_**[(](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D_PTgs95JMGg&t=YTM5NWIwMzZmZGM3OGI0YTJhNDAxZWVkZjczYmYxZDRiNmJhOWM2MyxtTGpubWU2YQ%3D%3D&b=t%3AaEnQvCCauXagTyrPelg-AA&p=https%3A%2F%2Fkagazuly.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F616125482731290624%2Fbeta-au-main-story-chapter-2-daily-life-part&m=1) [BGM](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fyoutu.be%2F_PTgs95JMGg&t=NmFiODE2YWZjY2JmNWFmYWVhOWNhOGU2YTE3Mjk3ODU1ZDQzMDE2ZixtTGpubWU2YQ%3D%3D&b=t%3AaEnQvCCauXagTyrPelg-AA&p=https%3A%2F%2Fkagazuly.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F616125482731290624%2Fbeta-au-main-story-chapter-2-daily-life-part&m=1) [)](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D_PTgs95JMGg&t=YTM5NWIwMzZmZGM3OGI0YTJhNDAxZWVkZjczYmYxZDRiNmJhOWM2MyxtTGpubWU2YQ%3D%3D&b=t%3AaEnQvCCauXagTyrPelg-AA&p=https%3A%2F%2Fkagazuly.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F616125482731290624%2Fbeta-au-main-story-chapter-2-daily-life-part&m=1) ** _

He didn’t finish his sentence when Miu abruptly sat back on her chair, elbows on the table and her hands covering her face. She broke down in tears, mumbling things to herself.

“I’msorryI’msorryI’msorryI’msorryI’msorryI’msorryI’msorryI’msorryI’msorryI’msorryI’msorryI’msorry-”

Kaito spoke up reluctantly. “Miu… What… How did you…”

The grip she had on her hair tightened. She looked like she wanted to be anywhere but here.

The boys looked at each other. No one really knew what to say. Rantaro smelled the drink and frowned. He made the others understand that it was definitely not alcohol for a cocktail.

Kiyo took a deep breath and set the glass down.

“Should we assume you are the one responsible for this?”

Miu’s head slowly fell down on the table, arms crossed to cover her head, and nails digging in her skin. She was still shaking and sobbing to herself, but she nodded.

“I’m… I…”

Shuichi was still trying to process what just happened. Did Miu just try to kill them? Rantaro looked pensive, Kiyo was silently observing the crying Miu and Kaito was shocked, to say the least. Shuichi felt bad, that must have felt like a huge betrayal for him. His best friend trying to kill him, and even if she seemed to regret it, the will to kill was there. In those colorful glasses.

It took her a while to even begin to calm down and cease the tear-filled muttering. When she raised her head just out of her arms, Shuichi noticed a part of her make up was smudged and her eyes were red. She didn’t even dare to look at any of them.

Since the others had been silent, Rantaro asked her the question everyone wanted to ask.

“Why…?”

She flinched at the question.

“I… Kaz… I’m- I’m sorry-”

She couldn’t even form a single sentence correctly through her sobs.

“Kaz… Would have never wanted this… What am I doing…?”

Korekiyo stayed calm and tried to interrogate her despite her current state. “Would you please tell us who is ‘Kaz’?”

She tried to recompose herself, unsuccessfully.

“Kaz…”

She rubbed her eyes.

“He’s- He’s my son- I watched my motive video this morning and I saw him and I knew I had to escape to protect him and I saw my chance with my lab opened and and-”

She was just rambling at this point. Kiyo told her to calm down one last time, but that made her completely enraged.

“HOW CAN YOU TAKE THIS SO LIGHTLY?? I TRIED TO KILL YOU ALL!!” she yelled at no one in particular, getting up from her chair, still in a panicked state.

“I-I-I tried to kill you all with homemade poison from my lab I organized this whole party to kill you and blame it on Kirumi and-and I didn’t even hesitate to do so because I watched my motive video and lied to you all but I just want to see my son again he needs me and I miss his precious face and and and-”

Tears were running down her face. She had completely broken down.

Kaito tried to get her attention but that turned out pretty unsuccessful.

“Miu, calm down! Look at me-”

“HE WOULD HAVE NEVER WANTED ME TO KILL ANY OF YOU!!”

Silence filled the building once again.

She fell on her knees and laughed to herself.

“What am I doing…?”

Kaito got up from his seat and got down to face Miu. He put his hands on her shoulders.

“This… Is a lot for me to take in, I will admit. To think my best friend tried to kill me.”

She winced at the last sentence.

“But that best friend also backed down and regrets what she has done. She did this for her family, and even though it will take a while for us to completely get over this, I can’t blame you for wanting to fight for your family.”

She looked up to him, but that didn’t seem to reassure her very much.

Shuichi himself was a bit doubtful by the statement. Of course the one to blame would be Monokuma and the mastermind for putting them through this but… At the same time he can’t help but feel like Miu really was responsible for this incident.

Kiyo seemed to be thinking. “I don’t think you are entirely to blame, but you still had your part in this. I think the best option would be to talk about this once all of us managed to stand back from the situation.”

Rantaro hadn’t say a thing. He didn’t look mad but he was certainly not happy.

Miu wiped away her tears. “I… I know this may sound selfish but…”

Rantaro turned to her.

“Can we… Keep this between us? I know I don’t deserve it but please…”

The others glanced at each other. Rantaro was stirring his glass. “What do you think, Shuichi? You’ve been quiet for a while.”

He was startled by Rantaro’s sudden question. His gaze wasn’t making things better either. “I- uh….” he paused. “I think… We should at least make sure the products used for this are taken away and the poison destroyed.”

Rantaro nodded. Shuichi turned to Kiyo. “And Kiyo’s right. I think it should be better not to make anym- any bad decisions with emotions taking control of us.”

Miu, sitting on the ground, clenched the trembling fists resting on her legs, tears filling her eyes even more. Those same emotions pushed her to act this way, and saying this just reminded her of her lack of self-control.

Rantaro stared at her for a few seconds before turning to the rest of the group. “So to sum this incident up, we keep quiet about this for now, destroy the materials and wait for tomorrow to decide what we do?”

The others nodded. Rantaro got up from his chair and briefly looked at the two best friends before turning to Shuichi.

“Us two should go to Miu’s lab to get rid of the materials. You okay with this Miu?”

Her eyes didn’t even move. She simply muttered. “Yes. Do what must be done. That’s… What I deserve at the very least.”

He gestured to Shuichi that they should go and leave them alone for now. The blue-eyed boy turned back to Miu one last time to see her wiping her tears with Kaito at her side.

They closed the door and headed to the lab. They had so many questions but both knew it would be better to wait for the next day to ask her about it. Or maybe Korekiyo, who stayed at the pool, would probably be able to get to know what was going on with her.

-

The walk was silent, just like the time the two were meeting the other ultimates about a week ago. But it felt different. They had just escaped death because their attacker didn’t manage to get through her plan. She was so close, if she reacted just a few seconds later and the situation would have been a disaster.

“Hey…” Shuichi said. Rantaro slightly turned his head.

“What do you think of all this? You didn’t say much back then…”

His friend took a few seconds to think about an answer. Or more likely, to wonder if his thoughts were worth being told.

“What is done, is done. Miu tried to kill us but couldn’t bring herself to actually do it. We’re alive and that’s what matters. We should focus on making sure no one else gets their hands on the poison.”

Shuichi’s eyes widened. He didn’t know what to expect, but it was certainly not this. “You… Actually don’t plan on telling anyone about this?”

“No.” He replied. “The less people know, the better it is. This entire academy reeks distrust and fear of being killed. If we talk about this incident the others will snap just like she did, and some probably won’t back down before actually committing the act.”

“That’s… One way to think.”

But Shuichi remembered what the monokubs said the day before. “But… The monokubs said they would refill products if someone tried to destroy them.”

Rantaro started thinking. “Honestly I don’t think that will be the case for certain situations. But for now just the prepared poison should be destroyed.”

Shuichi hummed in agreement. They were forced to trust Miu not to try anything again. They could only hope Kaito and Korekiyo would be able to calm her down for the time being.

Rantaro turned to him. “Ever wondered how you were able to guide the others during the class trial?”

He had thought about it, it was a bit strange to him. “I don’t really know why. Tsumugi said I was leading the debate but… I’m just an average guy. I’m a violinist, my talent doesn’t even have anything to do with leading. I’m bad at this.”

The green haired boy hummed. “You know, I talked about this with Kiyo, yesterday.”

Shuichi blinked.

“To him it was normal for the others to follow your lead. And I agree with that. I mean…” he chuckled.

“Let’s be honest here. We’re the two leaders of the group, you and I. But my influence is more… Direct. I got the group to cooperate, to get organized, you know the deal.”

“My influence has its limits. I think you realized it by now, but I saw how the others looked at me during the investigation and trial. I’m completely indifferent when it comes to people dying. I’m used to it after all.”

“Even just now, the reason I asked you to say what you think is because they would most likely listen to you.”

Shuichi was confused. “But why?”

“You have that compassion. That innocence the others have. You felt bad for Gonta dying. For Tenko dying. You have that kindness that I lack in those stressful situations. People are more drawn to you because of that natural kindness. That humanity. You can keep calm but still have that feeling of compassion. That’s what the others are looking for in the trials. Someone to relate to, who doesn’t sound and look like an experienced murderer.”

Shuichi was surprised to hear Rantaro talk about himself this way, but it made sense. Of course he wouldn’t try to take advantage of this in the future, however it felt strange to be considered a leader by Rantaro himself.

“That’s what Kiyo told me. That it was more about instinct than a concrete feeling.”

He nodded. Of course the therapist would know what he’s saying. Shuichi had to assume this role as a leader. A role that Rantaro couldn’t fill completely.

Rantaro stopped in his tracks.

“From now on that’s our job to keep this group together. This is gonna be hard, I know, but it’s necessary.”

He fidgeted with his necklace. “Let’s be honest here. We won’t all get out of here alive, and I’m 100% sure another murder will occur in the next few days. But if there’s anything I’m trying to do in those times, it’s to make sure the group doesn’t completely loose it.”

“You and I will be the leaders from now on. So I’m counting on you to help me with this.”

He extended his hand.

“Deal?”

After hesitating, Shuichi shook Rantaro’s hand.

“Deal.”

They arrived at the street artist’s lab. It was time to take away the products, even though they knew she wouldn’t try again after this incident.

It was just to make sure.

They entered the lab. Nothing looked like it had been touched yet from a quick glance, since everything was clean. Rantaro went to the lab bench. That’s when he noticed small droplets of water in some of the glassware.

“That was definitely used recently. At the very least today.”

“Do you think she has more of the poison in the lab?”

Rantaro shook his head. “Even though she planned this in a hurry, she still covered up the evidence. She most likely threw the surplus away. Perhaps…”

He turned to a white plastic bottle labeled “bin”. He grabbed it and stirred it for a few seconds to judge how much liquid was in there.

“There isn’t much, but it’s still something.” Rantaro said as he looked at the sink.

Shuichi frowned. “I know nothing about those products, but there’s a reason it’s kept in a separated bottle, right?”

The green-haired boy sighed. “I know, but it’s either someone gets their hands on this and could try to use it and frame Miu, or we risk polluting who knows where since we don’t know where those pipes lead.”

“Fair point.”

Rantaro poured the transparent liquid into the sink. It’s smell was stronger than the “cocktails” from earlier, most likely because there was fruit juice to cover it.

He went to one of the shelves and opened it to see many bottles labeled as toxic or inflammable. “As for the ingredients we can’t do much because the Monokubs will replace it, right?”

Shuichi nodded. “I don’t know when they’ll replace it, but they will do eventually.”

“I see.” he closed the drawer. “Then there isn’t much to do anymore for now.”

Rantaro didn’t say a thing as he walked to the exit, passing by Shuichi.

“Oh and…” he stopped in his tracks and put a hand on his shoulder.

“Tomorrow you and the rest of your group will watch Miu’s motive video. I’m not supposed to know about this, so from now on pretend this event never happened. I don’t know anything about her motive video and will not know about it unless she talks to me, and make sure to inform the others about this. Got it?”

Shuichi actually got scared by Rantaro’s sudden reaction, but he nodded. “G-Got it.”

Korekiyo entered the room right after.

“I see that you’re done with the ingredients?”

Shuichi approached the two others. “We did what we could do, but if we steal things the monokubs will refill it.”

The tall young adult put a finger on his chin. “I see. I’m also done talking to Miu, she is alone with Kaito as far as I know.”

Rantaro was quick to respond. “So? Has she calmed down?”

“We agreed on doing therapy sessions so she can cope with the situation. But of course that will be after we officially watch her motive video.”

He nodded. “Alright, we’re good to go for now. Oh and-” he turned to Shuichi.

“You two make sure we left nothing in the lab. I got something to check.” he said as he left.

Korekiyo asked if he could take a look at the lab. They stayed in it for a while, searching in every shelf if anything looked like poison.

After about 10 minutes, they left to join the rest of the group. They will have to pretending nothing happened.

They found Kaito and Miu going back to the dorms. Miu seemed to have calmed down enough for now.

Shuichi and Kiyo decided to stay outside to talk about something other than what just happened. Even though Kiyo had a threatening aura, it was pretty relaxing to talk to him. It’s like you almost wanted to trust him immediately. No wonder he was called the ultimate therapist.

About two hours later, they ate dinner. The atmosphere was tense, mostly because of the upcoming day, but the most cheerful ones were able to bring back a few smiles.

Shuichi decided to take a walk before going to bed. After all tomorrow he would watch Kaito, Korekiyo and of course Miu’s votive videos. He was nervous at the idea of this “motive video compilation”, but it was too late to go back.

But he had a gut feeling this wasn’t going to go as planned. Everything seemed way too convenient.

“You good?”

Shuichi got startled. It was Kaito, right behind him. “Don’t scare me like that…”

He laughed. “Sorry, man.”

Kaito sat down next to Shuichi. “Today was… Special.”

Shuichi nodded. “I don’t really know what to think about this. I don’t even know if I can trust her anymore.”

He nodded in understanding. “We… Talked after Kiyo left. But it’s like I both do and don’t get why she did this.”

“… I think we should let her talk to Kiyo. Either she is genuine in her regret, or Kiyo will be able to tell if she’s lying.”

Kaito leaned back to lay on the grass. “I really want her to say the truth. I want to believe in her.”

Shuichi turned to him. “If it’s not too personal, how did you two become friends so quickly?”

He chuckled. “We’re mutual fans, y’know? I’ve been admiring her work ever since she started and she is a fan of the family! We knew each other’s names and when we met here, it just sort of clicked.”

The violinist raised an eyebrow. “The family? Is she your long lost sister?”

“Haha, no! That’s how I call the gang. They’re like family, but like a man family. They taught me everything I know. I may have missing memories, but I never forget the family.”

Shuichi weakly smiled. “Man family? What is that supposed to mean?”

“We’re all men in the gang. It’s kinda like a rule. And if you’re not a man, then become one.” He chuckled. “Manliest shit I’ve ever seen.”

Shuichi blinked. Perhaps he didn’t want to know more about the gang, considering that he is not exactly the definition of a ‘man’. But if Kaito considered them his family, then good for him.

The two went their ways, to their dorms. And hopefully wake up mentally prepared to watch those motive videos.


	7. Chapter 2: The wolf and the lamb - Daily life (part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Monokuma gave them motive videos and things spiraled out of control very quickly, and if something goes wrong, another murder will surely occur. Perhaps watching all the videos will dissuade the potential killers from committing the act?

Day 7 since the beginning of the game.  
7:00 AM.

Just like a few days ago, Shuichi couldn’t sleep well due to the upcoming event and what happened te day before. He stared at the ceiling for what felt like an eternity before deciding to get dressed and perhaps join those who have already woken up.

When he finally got out of his bedroom, he saw Miu going out as well. He caught up to her.

“Hey…”

She almost jumped at his presence. “Don’t lurk on me like that, jeez…”

That was absolutely not the case but none of them were in the mood for bickering. They walked to the dining hall in silence.

After a while Miu mumbled in a very low voice: “I’m sorry for yesterday.”

Shuichi took a while to think about a correct response. “Just make sure to talk to Kiyo about this.” She nodded.

There were surprisingly more people than expected. Kirumi, Keebo, Kokichi and Korekiyo were there.

“Good morning.” Korekiyo said, looking at the two.

“Sup.”

“Good morning…” Shuichi responded. “No one was able to sleep, huh?”

“This morning will be stressful for all of us, it’s normal.” Rantaro’s voice was heard as he entered the room, his hands full of tablets. Ryoma was behind him with a part of the tablets as well.

They put the tablets on the table. Shuichi and Miu helped them sort the kubs pads by group. The rest of them arrived one by one to eat their breakfast.

The morning announcement rang and the only people not there were Kaito and Himiko, which was weird considering Himiko’s energetic nature and Kaito was not exactly lazy.

About 15 minutes after, everybody was there. None of them really knew if they were impatient or didn’t want to see their videos.

They separated to make sure no one would hear other videos. After watching the videos, they were ordered to go back to the dining hall.

Shuichi’s group went to his lab, Rantaro’s group to his lab, Kirumi’s group to her lab and Kaede’s group to her lab.

There weren’t any chairs in Shuichi’s lab, so they sat on the floor to make sure everyone could watch.

Shuichi asked if any of them wanted to watch their video first.

“Me. If you guys don’t mind.” Miu said, the regret in her voice.

After making sure he took the right one, he put it down for the others to watch.

_Miu Iruma’s motive video  
What is your motive!?_

Miu took a deep breath. She was faintly shaking.

_“Who’s the most important person in *your* life? And now without further ado…”_

A picture appeared on the screen.

The kid was not older than 4 or 5 years old.

Shuichi glanced at her. her eyes were red and he could see tears form in her eyes.

_“Miu Iruma, the ultimate Street artist…_

_Famous all around the country for her *marvelous* fluorescent paintings in the streets._

_Contrary to popular belief, she wasn’t seeking fame and fortune. Her goal was to protect the only person she truly cherishes, her adopted son.”_

Shuichi took a deep breath. He hoped the other videos don’t make them as emotional.

_“Our team has managed to get in contact and talk to him. He misses his dear mother terribly, what kind of kid wouldn’t after all? Let’s hear the poor, lonely child’s cry for help then!”_

That was just sadism at this point. No wonder Miu completely snapped after watching this. She had a hand on her mouth, holding herself back from breaking into tears.

_“Mommy?”_

The kid, “Kaz” as she called him, appeared on the screen, sitting on a couch. Miu closed her eyes and faced the ground.

_“I don’t understand what’s happening but I believe in mom! I know she can do this! Don’t ever give up! Mom is the strongest mom I’ve ever known, I’m sure no matter what happens, she’ll be able to surpass it, I love you mom!”_

Kaito pat her back in confort. It was hard for them to watch this, but they couldn’t even begin to imagine how she felt.

Monokuma’s voice continued. _“He believes in his mother more than anyone else. Will Miu be able to gather enough strength for him?_

_Ah, yes… One more thing…_

_Shortly after our discussion, that brat suffered an unfortunate accident.”_

The others frowned.

_“What kinda accident? It’s a secret! Find out for yourself. Puhuhuhuhu…”_

The screen went black. Miu was clenching to her stomach. She wanted to scream.

Kiyo was most likely thinking about something to calm her down. He set the tablet aside. “We can pause for a moment if you need some time.”

She took a deep breath. A shaky breath. “Don’t- Don’t worry about me. Continue if you want to.”

Kiyo didn’t back down. “The others will understand if we spend more time in this room than we intended at first.”

She nodded, looking at the ground. About five minutes later she had calmed down enough to start another video.

“Is anyone volunteering to watch their video?” Kiyo asked.

“I… I think I can handle it.” Kaito said. He was unsure, but so was the rest of the group.

“Alright. I’m turning on the tablet.”

Once again, the screen lightened up to show the video.

_Kaito Momota’s motive video  
What is your motive!?_

Kaito took a deep breath. He was trying to hide his nervousness, but it really showed on his face.

_“Who’s the most important person in *your* life? And now without further ado…”_

The picture had Kaito with a motorcycle and a gold medal, with his grandparents proudly smiling at their grandson.

_“Kaito Momota, the Ultimate Biker…_

_While he is possibly one of the most loyal member of the biker gang he considers his second family, how could you possibly forget his real one?”_

Kaito clenched his fists, but said nothing.

_“Thaaaaat’s right! He gave a major part of the money he earned to his own grandparents. How adorable!  
_

_I mean his parents couldn’t even do the job of taking care of their own son, yet same son takes care of his grandparents. How ironic!_

_… Or not.”_

Kaito’s expression was unreadable.

_“What kind of son would abandon his family while an unfortunate event is affecting them in the worst ways possible?_

_What happened, you may ask? Find out for yourself! Puhuhuhu!”_

The screen went black.

There was a short silence that felt like an eternity.

Shuichi was hesitant, but he spoke first. “You okay…?”

Kaito took a deep breath and exhaled. “I’m fine. We can talk about this later, let’s just move on.”

Kiyo raised an eyebrow an stared at him to get at least a glimpse of emotion. He sighed.

“Shuichi, do you wish to see your video now or do you want me to go first?”

He nodded. “Let’s just get this over with.”

He didn’t tell the others about the feeling that something would go wrong very soon. But he couldn’t say anything. After all Kaito and Miu already showed their videos, that would be unfair for them to stop there.

_Shuichi Saihara’s motive video  
What is your motive!?_

_“Who’s the most important person in *your* life? And now without further ado…”_

Shuichi took a deep breath.

A picture of a middle aged man, a young woman about 20 years old and Shuichi himself appeared. He recognized them as his uncle and his cousin.

_“Shuichi Saihara, the Ultimate Violinist…  
_

_He has made his own reputation thanks to his parents, ironic considering the fact that the the boy probably saw them less times than I saw dead bodies in a killing game.”_

Shuichi winced.

_“Since those ‘2popular4you’ idiots weren’t capable of taking care of a single person they left the poor child to his uncle, who took care of him like his own son. Such a nice family, right?”_

A wave of nostalgia hit Shuichi. The time spent with them between concerts, the games he used to play with his cousin…

_“But all good things come to an end! Those two got taken away in an unfortunate accident.  
_

_But what kind of incident? It’s for you to find out!”_

The screen turned off. Shuichi was lost in thoughts. He wanted to say that he would get them back no matter the cost but yesterday’s experience made him reconsider his words. Perhaps that’s what Kaito was thinking too after he watched his own video.

He didn’t realize how long he’s been thinking until Korekiyo put a hand on his shoulder.

“Are you okay?”

“Ah- Yes, I’m fine. Just… Nostalgic.”

He faintly heard Miu say “I get you.”

Kaito looked at Shuichi with unease. Like he wanted to say something to reassure him but didn’t find the words to do so.

Korekiyo took the last tablet in his hands. “I guess it’s finally my turn.”

He took a deep breath and turned the tablet on.

_Korekiyo Shinguji’s motive video  
What is your motive!?_

_“Who’s the most important person in *your* life? And now without further ado…”_

The picture featured him and a young woman a bit older than him.

_“Korekiyo Shinguji, the Ultimate Therapist…_

_Able to help people get through the worst traumas the world could inflict. A genius dedicated to heal psychological scars…_

_Even for his own sister who had sunken into insanity before his precious help. He dedicated his entire life to help poor traumatized sister.”_

Kiyo was completely silent and unreadable, it was almost scary.

_“She was already borderline psychotic without her sweet brother, but now that he disappeared… Puhuhuhuh! I can only imagine the consequences!_

_But the wild lady didn’t enjoy her brother’s absence very long due to an accident. But what accident? See after graduation!”_

The last video was over. Kiyo retrieved the rest of the tablets. “Before you ask me, i’m fine. Seeing the rest of your videos prepared me for mine.”

He stood up. “Once again, if any of you need anything, I’ll be here.”

Shuichi stood up as well. “You sure? I don’t think that’s very healthy to put the sake of everyone else on your shoulders, even for you…”

He shook his head. “I can assure you I’ll be fine. I will talk to you if it’s necessary, since that’s what this group is for.”

Miu and Kaito joined them. “So… Should we go to the dining hall?”

Shuichi nodded. But Kiyo looked at Miu. “You two go without us, I need to talk to Miu first.”

Miu gave them a weak thumbs-up, leaving the two boys.

As they were walking, Shuichi turned to Kaito. “You heard Kiyo… If you need any help he or I can talk to you. We’re in the same boat, right?”

The biker turned to him, then smiled. “Alright bro. We’re the ‘our parents are garbage and decent people in the family took care of us’ gang, right?” He extended his fist.

Shuichi chuckled and fist bumped Kaito. “Hehe, kinda…”

After seconds of silence Shuichi was still nervous. “Do you think the others are okay?”

Kaito scratched the back of his neck. “Well I hope so… Can’t guarantee anything though.”

They reached the dining hall to see both Kirumi and Kaede’s groups. However Rantaro’s group was still absent.

They were all more or less neutral, or hiding their expressions. Kaede, however, didn’t look well. Maki was patting her back in comfort. But judging by the silence of the room, now was not the time.

Kirumi raised an eyebrow. “Where is the rest of your group?”

A voice came from behind them. “Right here.”

It was Kiyo, with Miu. They looked around and noticed Rantaro’s group’s absence as well. “I see that Rantaro, Kokichi and Himiko did not return.

Keebo looked puzzled. “I don’t really get it, they were 3 and yet they’re the last group to come.”

Kirumi crossed her arms. “Our group was the first to come, and we were only 3. Tsumugi, you said your group watched the videos all at once almost without pausing.”

She turned to Shuichi. “I assume that’s not your case?” her eyes were fixed on his’ like he was her prey.

“Y-Yes, Kiyo suggested to take a breath between the videos.”

Talking about Miu’s reaction was a bad idea, for now.

They waited the last group five minutes before they entered the dining hall. Rantaro looked nervous, Himiko was trying to hide her distress and Kokichi’s eyes were almost as red as Miu’s when they finished her video.

Kiyo hesitated for a moment but spoke anyway. “If any of you need support or therapy sessions I’ll be available. However I cannot force you. Just consider the offer available anytime.”

Kokichi nodded. Rantaro weakly smiled. “Thanks a lot, Kiyo. Your help is more than welcome.”

Shuichi exhaled a breath. But he couldn’t stop feeling nervous. What did those three even see in those videos?

Maki lifted her head. “And now? Is there anything we should do about the videos or-”

“Oh, I know!!” a high pitched voice was heard.

Monokuma popped up out of nowhere as usual.

“Sheesh, you guys were slow watching those videos, I almost wanted to break in those binge-watch sessions. Waiting was bor-”

“Get to the point already.” Rantaro ordered.

The bear laughed. “Puhuhuhuhu! I’m glad you said so!”

He jumped on the table to make sure everyone was listening.

“Watching you guys cooperate to fight despair was interesting, really! Which is why it gave me an idea… For a new motive!”

Shuichi’s eyes widened. “What?”

“You heard me, music-boy! You guys talk so much about cooperating and helping each other, it gave me a splendid idea!”

“Let me present you… The accomplice perk!”

The others looked at him nervously. No one liked where this was going.

“Here are the rules. The next blackened, if they manage to get away with their crime, will be able to take one person with them, and they will graduate together!”

This was the last thing they needed. They had just watched their videos. They knew each other’s secrets. Monokuma knew they were watching the videos. Without realizing it, they all fell into a trap they hadn’t anticipated. 

“Now do what you want with this, I just want a crime with an accomplice or something. I haven’t seen these in decades!” He disappeared, leaving everyone to themselves.

…

“Well fuck.” Kaito broke the silence.

“No human language can describe the disappointment I’m feeling right now.” Kiyo added, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Shuichi turned to Ryoma. He was reading something on his monopad. After a few seconds he left the room with one of the tablets, presumably his own.

“Where are you going exactly?” Kirumi asked. Ryoma didn’t give an answer. The others were confused.

They heard glass shattering, an object thrown to the ground and stepped on. Shuichi and Rantaro rushed to the kitchen and saw Ryoma, his kubs pad on the ground, shattered to pieces. He looked at them with the most neutral expression possible. “Mind giving me a hand?”

Rantaro raised an eyebrow. “You’re planning on destroying all the tablets?”

Ryoma took the large pieces off the ground. “It’s not against the school rules. We watched the videos. No need for them anymore.”

Rantaro narrowed his eyes. “At least let’s discuss it with everyone.”

They returned to the dining hall to see the others confused. “I was already planning to do this before Monokuma’s second motive. Now is just another reason to do so.”

“H-Hold on! We can’t just destroy them like that!” Miu exclaimed.

“The sooner, the better. I smashed my own tablet. Feel free to do so as well.”

Shuichi was hesitant. “What if… We want to keep at least a souvenir of the people on it? To at least give us some strength to continue…” he trailed off when he saw Kokichi walking off to the kitchen and coming back with about several sharp knives. He proceeded to destroy his tablet without a word as the others were watching. Himiko kept her gaze on the ground.

“Do what you want with your tablets, but I’m not watching this again.”

Shuichi could read a small bit of satisfaction on his face.

Kirumi took hers and did the same. “I get that some of you hold some people close to your heart, but some of us aren’t that lucky.”

Tsumugi destroyed her tablet as well. “It’s for the best.”

Shuichi looked at his reflection on the black screen. He didn’t want to forget them. He really didn’t.

Rantaro spoke up. “Miu, Angie, you two are quite skilled in the field of art, right?”

Miu nodded. Angie kept swinging her legs under the table. “Yup! Yup! Let me guess, you want us to recreate their portraits so we can destroy the tablets anyway?”

“Yes. We’ll have to do without their voices. It’s just to make sure no one watches someone else’s video outside of the groups.”

She hummed for a few seconds. “I’m okay with this, but first!”

She stood up, put the tablet on her chair and smashed it with the giant paintbrush she carries at all times. The tablet was almost perfectly broken in half.

“Done! If you need my help to create something for you, just ask!” she said almost too cheerily for someone who just destroyed the last connection she had with the outside world.

But Shuichi was more surprised to see Kiyo destroying his tablet. From what the video said, he didn’t hate his sister from the look of things. But he shouldn’t assume how he was feeling.

Rantaro himself put his tablet on the ground. He made a quick salute. “So long, partners.” he smashed the tablet several times to make sure it didn’t work anymore.

“It looks like half of us already destroyed their tablets. It’s a good start. I know this won’t solve everything but if we can get them out of the way that would be better.” he added.

To everyone’s surprise, Kaede threw the tablet on the floor to destroy it.

“I… I miss my family. I really do. But…”

She looked at the rest of the group with a newly found confidence. “I don’t want it to make me do things I’ll regret. So if destroying these will help us move forward… Then so be it.”

Rantaro sighed in relief. Maki looked at her, surprised by her -friend-’s words, but she was not mad.

Keebo smiled. “Then I’ll take care of it as well.” about ten seconds later, his tablet was no more.

There were now 5 kubs pads intact: Kaito’s, Miu’s, Himiko’s, Maki’s and Shuichi’s. They all looked at each other. The peer pressure was growing, and Shuichi was holding onto his tablet more and more tightly.

Rantaro approached him. “Hey, we suggested the idea of at least keeping the portraits. You don’t have to feel pressured into destroying the tablet right now.”

Shuichi smiled. “Thank you. I just… Think I need a reminder of why I’m fighting against this killing game. So if Miu can make at least a sketch of my family portrait that would be really nice.” He looked at her with a genuine smile. Her eyes widened for a few seconds before smiling back.

“Alright, if any of you wants some family portrait, I’ll be in my lab for the rest of the day making them.”

Rantaro smiled at her. “Thank you for your service Miu.” He turned to the rest of the group.

“I’ll go with them to make sure everything goes smoothly. If any of you need Kiyo’s help or advice, don’t hesitate to ask him. I’m counting on you all to maintain this group together.”

He turned to the ones with their tablets still intact. “Miu, Kaito, Himiko, Maki and Shuichi, we’ll go to Miu’s lab for the portraits.”

“Oh! Oh! May I join??” Angie raised her hand.

Miu chuckled. “Alright, Twinkle! Show me what you got!”

They left to the street artist’s lab. Shuichi didn’t feel good going back after… The previous incident, but he didn’t have a choice. He looked at Miu, she was chatting with Rantaro. At least she looked better than after watching her motive video.

He noticed Himiko being rather silent. He decided to start the conversation. “You okay?”

The small girl lifted her head. “Oh, don’t worry! I’m just worried about… You know…”

“Your family?” he finished. But she shook her head.

“No, I’m worried about Kokichi.”

Shuichi didn’t expect this. “Oh… Right…”

“I know he isn’t a bad person… I just know it… But he is so convinced that he is I just… Don’t know what to say to him.”

Shuichi had absolutely no idea on what was on his video. He wasn’t in the right to ask, and Himiko was certainly not in the right to tell him about it.

“I don’t really know that much about him but…” he put a hand on her shoulder. “Stay by his side. It’s easy to tell he likes you, you know?”

Her eyes widened. “Really?”

He hummed. “I talked to him the other day, he doesn’t really get why you like him so much, but he doesn’t complain. I guess he is just very shy and anxious?”

Himiko clenched her fists, but more in a determined manner than an angry one. “Then I’ll help him overcome it! I know he wants to better himself, so I’ll help him!”

Shuichi smiled and ruffled her hair. “You’re a good person Himiko. I’m glad he has someone like you to help him.”

She wiped a small tear in the corner of her eye. “Oh! I’ll ask Angie to add him on my family picture!”

Shuichi chuckled. “Also, try to encourage him to seek out help to Kiyo if he hasn’t already. We have the Ultimate therapist with us. That’s quite convenient.”

She hummed. “I will!”

They arrived at Miu’s lab. Angie turned to Miu. “Soooo how do we split the work?”

Miu clicked her tongue. “Depends on how they want to stylise the portrait. Either something fancy with you, or something modern with me.”

Himiko jumped. “Angie! Can you do mine?”

She smiled. “Of course!”

They splitted the work. Miu would work on the family portraits of Shuichi, Kaito and herself.

Angie took Himiko and Maki with her.

The rest of the morning was spent finding ideas. Angie may not have her lab open, but Miu had enough materials to make the portraits.

Kirumi brought them lunch so the girls wouldn’t loose their focus.

Miu’s group brought paint to Shuichi’s lab to do her work. Shuichi had gathered several music sheets and after taping them on the wall, Miu used them as a canvas.

Shuichi was very impressed by the final result. It was easy to see that Miu put her whole heart and soul into it.

“So? How’s that for you?” she proudly asked.

Shuichi felt tears in the corner of his eyes. “It’s really impressive. Thanks a lot, Miu. I’m really glad you accepted to do this for me. That means a lot.”

She looked at her with a weak smile. “Don’t sweat it. I can only get what it’s like to miss your family.”

Shuichi looked at the portrait for a good thirty seconds. Thankfully Kaito and Miu didn’t say anything.

“I think we should move on. Let’s just find something to smash this thing.” he broke the silence.

After destroying the tablet they saw Angie working on an impressive portrait with its frame, all made using origami. Rantaro was observing, since he didn’t have the necessary skills to help.

Then went on Kaito’s family portrait. Surprisingly he didn’t want something too different from reality, so Miu simply made a reproduction of the picture offered by the kubs pad.

Angie, Himiko, Rantaro and Maki left for the latter’s lab.

Kirumi had come to clean up the broken tablets. When asked where she was even putting them, she said Ryoma could use some of the components with some tools from the warehouse, but that it was fine since there was no possibility to recover the parts containing the videos specifically, or just being able to watch any video at all.

She had stayed to watch Miu paint a part of the giant walls. The portrait of her son was astonishing. If Shuichi’s family portrait was wonderful, hers was simply divine.

Kirumi had just assumed it was her little brother, so Kaito and Shuichi went along with it since it was easier to explain.

By the time they were finished, it was about 6 PM. Kirumi also took the broken pieces of Maki’s tablet.

The evening came, and everyone felt definitely better than they were at the beginning of the day after Monokuma announced the second motive. After all, all of the tablets were destroyed, which lifted the anxiety the majority was feeling.

After dinner, Shuichi, Kaito and Rantaro went outside to talk.

They were mostly relieved that Miu had managed to calm down. Kiyo even told them that she would get a therapy session the next day after the morning announcement and breakfast.

However Rantaro felt off.

“Is something wrong?” Shuichi asked.

He lifted his head to look at him. “Oh, nothing. I’m just a bit anxious about what Monokuma will come up with next. To make sure everyone gets along is a challenge here.”

He chuckled. “Even back on the front lines we cooperated more. But that doesn’t really matter now.”

Kaito smiled. “Hey, it’s not the best situation, but we can manage! Look at us today, we managed to open up even more!”

He extended his fist. “We’re doing good, so let’s just continue sticking with each other. Man’s promise?”

Rantaro laughed. “Whatever you call it. Man’s promise.” he extended his fist as well.

Shuichi was a bit nervous, but did so anyway. “Yeah. Man’s promise as you say.”

They left to go back to the dorms, but Shuichi decided to go to his lab for a while, to look at his family portrait one last time.

Even after hours it was still eye candy to him. She really had managed to capture their essence, and even his passion for violin with the music sheets used as a canvas.

After a few minutes he left his lab.

Just when he was about to go to his room he noticed Kaede, visibly nervous, leaving her room.

“You okay?” he asked.

She almost jumped. “Yes, don’t worry about me I’ll just… Go write on my notebook. It helps me relax.”

Shuichi was almost not convinced. “If you say so… Just don’t wander too much in the hallways, alright?”

She smiled. “Of course! It’s only to clear my mind. Those times have been quite stressful, you know?”

He nodded. “I know… But how can you be inspired in times like these?”

She chuckled. “You know, sometimes it’s less about inspiration and more about a way to mentally escape this cage. A sparrow may be nothing but a prey to a man, but it will fly further than the man will ever be able to.”

Shuichi smiled. “That’s a nice way of thinking.”

“Oh well, maybe I’m just rambling. See you tomorrow!” She left.

Hopefully tomorrow would be fine.

…

Day 8 since the beginning of the game.  
7:30 AM.

Shuichi woke up feeling rested. He felt the worry slowly fading away, and more and more determined to end the game.

After dressing up he walked to the dining hall, only to see that no one was there. He couldn’t even ask himself why he was alone when he heard it.

The cursed music, and the voice he resented more than anything.

_**“Ding dong, dong ding!”** _

_**“A body has been discovered!”** _

_**“Everyone, please gather at the library!”** _

Shuichi froze.

“What…?”

He didn’t even think. He rushed to the basement, only to see Kirumi, Rantaro, Kiyo and Ryoma looking at the table that he could not see because of the pile of books.

He slowly approached them. That’s when he saw it.

On one of the chairs rested the inanimate body…

_… Of Kaede Akamatsu, the Ultimate writer._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... I mean the death flags were there. Sorry.


	8. Chapter 2: The wold and the lamb - Deadly life (part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaede was killed! But who would even do this? What has she done to deserve dying? It's up to them to investigate and get through the next trial.

…

“… What…?”

That’s all Shuichi muttered.

The girl he briefly talked to yesterday was now dead in front of his eyes, and a wave of guilt hit him. He could have prevented this, he could have told her not to go there he could-

“Shuichi!”

Rantaro took him out of his thoughts.

He looked around him. The others were looking at him as well. Shuichi scratched his head. “Sorry…”

“It’s okay. We have to start the investigation. I’ll check the body first, check the Monokuma file to see where it gets us.”

Just as he finished that sentence, the others rushed in the library. Miu exclaimed, panicking. “W-Who is it??”

Maki rushed in, and the moment her eyes laid on Kaede’s body, she froze.

“No… No, no nononono-”

She rushed to the dead body.

_**“KAEDE!!!”** _

Her scream was heartbreaking.

Just a few days ago he had seen them together leaving the group to explore the library together.

Just three days ago, Shuichi had seen Maki peacefully sleeping on Kaede’s shoulder.

Just three days ago, Kaede used a love key, presumably to spend time with Maki.

Just the day before, she had broken her monopad by herself not to let her emotions take control of her and gain confidence.

Now her dead body was resting on a chair.

Kirumi tried to block her from getting to the corpse but Maki fought her back. She put her hand on the writer’s shoulders.

“Kaede… No… Please…” She sobbed. “Not you…”

She held onto her as tight as she could, like she was going to loose her if she even loosened her grip.

But it was too late. She was just hugging a cold, dead body, with traces of blood dripping from her mouth.

Kirumi put a hand on the tailor’s shoulder.

“If we want to do justice for her, we have to investigate. Last time Monokuma may have let us investigate until we had enough clues, but who knows when he’ll actually put a stop to it this time.”

Maki glared at her, then loosened her grip.

“… Fine.”

She walked towards the exit. “I’ll… Investigate on my o-”

This was of course the moment Monokuma chose to show up.

“Heyyyy! How’s it feel now that you’ve got a second murder victim on your hands?”

“SHUT UP!” Maki yelled.

The other monokubs showed up as well. They made their annoying little scene once again to everyone’s dismay.

“Just give us the Monokuma file already.” Rantaro didn’t seem to care at all about the mascots.

“Alright! Alright! You don’t gotta tell me twice!” Monokuma replied. “Welp, you know the rules, and so do I! After a certain period of time has passed, you will proceed to do a class trial! Good luck in your investigation!”

He left.

Maki left the room as well. “As I was saying, I’ll investigate on my own.”

Kirumi didn’t seem to buy it. “I’ll go with her.” she left as well.

She was right. They had to investigate if they wanted to stand a chance against the culprit. Or most likely, culprits?

Shuichi took a deep breath and turned on his Monopad.

_Monokuma file #2_

  * The victim is Kaede Akamatsu, the ultimate writer.
  * The body was discovered in the library.
  * The estimated time of death is 12:00 AM.
  * The victim died by poisoning.
  * No injuries were noted on the victim’s body.



**Obtained truth bullet! Monokuma file #2**

“(12 AM, huh?)” Shuichi thought to himself. “(Last time I saw her it was around 10 PM, after the night time announcement.)”

He closed his eyes briefly. “(Perhaps I should keep this for myself for now.)”

**Obtained truth bullet! Nighttime brief meeting**

He turned to Rantaro who examined the glass. A part of the beverage was still inside… Which was identical to Miu’s poisoned drinks from two days before.

When he glanced at her, she was abnormally pale. Kaito tried to quietly tap her shoulder to get her attention.

Angie chimed in, approaching the glass. “That’s weird, I took some of this drink yesterday after dinner!”

Shuichi quickly turned to Angie. “When?”

She taped her cheek with her finger. “I would say… 8 PM?”

 **Obtained truth bullet! Safe to drink? beverage**

So the drink was poisoned between 8 PM and 12 AM.

Rantaro noticed Miu’s pale expression, and he took action.

“Angie, Kokichi, Himiko and Kiyo, please investigate Miu’s lab. Try to look for missing products, there is a possibility some kind of chemical product was used.”

Kiyo looked at Miu and nodded. “We should go now.” The group left.

“Tsumugi, Ryoma and Keebo, try to investigate my lab.” He turned to Kaede. “Normally the products here are not deadly, but there is a possibility a clue is in there.” He took the key to his lab out of his pocket and gave it to Ryoma. “I’m counting on you guys.”

“Got it, boss.”

Once the group left, Rantaro looked at Shuichi, Miu and Kaito.

Miu fell to her knees. “It wasn’t me I swear it wasn’t me I didn’t do it I thought the products were destroyed I-”

“Miu.”

She looked up to him. There were a few seconds of silence, as if Rantaro was judging her expression. He turned to the guys.

“Kiyo probably already got the message. No one says a word about the cocktail incident. If the culprit knew about it and tried to frame Miu, the others will probably go along with it and I’m not taking the risk.”

He turned Kaede’s head and gently opened her mouth.

“There is no doubt this is poison, and probably Miu’s poison. But may I ask…”

He looked at Miu. “How did you poison the drinks exactly?”

She rubbed her eyes. “I poisoned directly the glasses, not the beverage itself. There was still some in the fridge after the… ‘Incident’, but it was not poisoned.”

**Obtained truth bullet! Poisoned drinks**

She slowly got up. “I thought you guys took care of the products…”

Shuichi jumped. “We did! We took like ten minutes to make sure none of the prepared poison was left in the lab!”

Rantaro stayed silent for a moment.

“Shuichi, try to investigate other places and get others’ alibis. We’ll come up with the theories later.”

He nodded and left the three others. Why only him though? Rantaro had this weird habit to say ominous things, like he had already figured so many things out.

That sent a shiver down Shuichi’s spine. Perhaps he was the cul-

“What are you doing by yourself, Shuichi?”

Kirumi bluntly asked. Shuichi jumped.

“Ah!- Sorry I was just… I must get the others’ alibis.”

She hummed. “I see. Try not to wander by yourself too much. Others might find it suspicious.” Her glare was terrifying. “Including me.”

He froze. “I- Uh- I… Rantaro asked me to do so I-”

“I was testing you, no need to panic like that.”

Shuichi blinked. “Huh?”

She looked around to make sure no one was listening. “Remember what I told you the other day. This is not exactly easy, but the others are counting on you.” She walked away. “And if Rantaro trusts you enough for this, perhaps it means something.”

Shuichi didn’t know what to respond. “W-Wait!”

She turned around.

“Oh, right, my alibi. I was in my lab from 9 PM to 10 PM, mostly doing laundry, and then stayed in my room for the rest of the night.”

“… I see.”

**Obtained truth bullet! Kirumi’s account**

He left to get to Miu’s lab. Perhaps there was something amiss there?

He found the group going through the lab. Kiyo looked up to him.

“Oh, you’re here. Any new clues on your side?” he asked.

Shuichi made sure the others were not listening. “The drink was the same as the other day, but according to Miu the beverage in itself was not poisoned. Just the glass.” he whispered.

“I see. Should we stay silent about the incident?”

Shuichi nodded. He continued. “Anyway, Rantaro, Kaito and Miu stayed to guard the corpse and sent me to see if there are clues on your side.”

Himiko stood up. “Oh hey! We found out that some products are missing, and the lab is surprisingly clean. Kinda like someone went there and did their best to clean up.”

This wasn’t good.

“What kind of products?” he asked.

Angie was holding the empty bottle that was used as a bin for dangerous chemical products. “Lots of them! Both raw ingredients and whatever was created in here! Could we assume Miu was the culprit?”

**Obtained truth bullet! Missing chemical products**

This class trial will not be easy. Either Miu betrayed them, or someone framed Miu and knew about this.

“Perhaps we should wait until the trial to do assumptions…” his gaze drifted to no one in particular.

Kokichi had joined them quietly. “I didn’t find much on my side, sorry…”

Kiyo shook his head. “No, it’s okay. We probably found what we wanted here.”

“Okie! Perhaps we should go search somewhere else!” Himiko tried to cheer up the group, but her smile was painfully fake.

The two smaller girls left the lab.

“Wait, Kiyo, Shuichi…”

The two turned around.

“What is it, Kokichi?”

He looked like he was wondering something. “I… Think I’ll tell you two, but please don’t tell anyone else.”

He took a few seconds to compose himself. He took a deep breath but…

“Nevermind. Forget it.”

Kiyo noticed his breathing was heavier than usual. “Are you su-”

“Kichiiiiiiiiiiiiii Kiyo and Shuichi! We’re waiting for you guys!” Himiko yelled from just outside the lab.

“We’ll discuss it later. Let’s go.”

The ‘Miu lab’ group went to the kitchen to investigate what exactly was the poison.

Shuichi went to Rantaro’s lab. He didn’t know if he wanted more hints or not here.

When he entered, the three seemed to have finished their research.

“Did you guys find anything?” Shuichi asked.

Tsumugi shook her head. “Nothing was missing, so the poison probably came from somewhere else.”

**Obtained truth bullet! Rantaro’s lab**

At least they could narrow down the possibilities. He relaxed a little knowing that Rantaro was probably not the culprit.

“What about you? Weren’t you with Rantaro, Miu and Kaito before?”

“The three are guarding the body. I’m just collecting alibis and looking for clues.”

She hummed. “I see. I know this might look a bit suspicious, but I was in the library between 8 PM and 10 PM, and I can safely say that nothing strange was there. No one came in nor out during that time, aside from Kaede at around 10 PM, then I left to leave her in peace. She looked a bit stressed but nothing much.”

**Obtained truth bullet! Tsumugi’s account**

This didn’t contradict what he saw. But perhaps looking for alibis between 10 PM and 12 AM was not the best idea, since she was poisoned, not injured physically.

Shuichi went to the kitchen to see if Kiyo and the others found clues.

The bowl with the cocktail was on the table, the bowl covered with a plastic sheet.

“We decided not to touch or try to drink it, but that was the drink in the glass.” Kiyo declared.

“That would be really bad if any of you tried to drink it.” Rantaro said, entering the kitchen.

Shuichi blinked. “Weren’t you guarding Kaede’s body?”

He shook his head. “Tsumugi, Keebo and Ryoma replaced us for this.”

He approached the bowl and took off the plastic sheet. “I know this isn’t safe but I have to check.”

He approached his nose to the beverage, smelling it.

“I can’t smell anything other than the basic alcohol used for it. There are no traces of strong chemical smell.”

Shuichi did the same to check, and he was right. That definitely smelled way less than the other day.

Kiyo did as well, to confirm their suspicion.

**Obtained truth bullet! Odorless drink**

Angie approached them. “Could it not be because the smell faded away because the drink is two days old?”

Rantaro put a finger on his chin. “I don’t know for sure but I don’t think any of my products’s smell would fade away like this.”

“Besides none of the products of your lab were missing, according to Tsumugi.” Shuichi added.

The green haired teen nodded. “That’s what she told me as well.”

“There’s still a possibility the products came from Miu’s lab, since some were missing…”

Rantaro put a finger on his chin. “We’ll have to ask her about that, even though it should be the same considering the type of product she uses.”

Himiko jumped in. “Oh, yeah! Doesn’t she use strong products? The smell would be instantly recognizable, right?”

“Sounds fair, but we’re never sure.” he replied.

It was just now that Shuichi noticed something.

_Rantaro was an excellent actor._

He really hoped that he wasn’t the culprit, but he wasn’t entirely sure.

He brushed off those thoughts for now. He had to get alibis.

“Anyway, may I have your alibis for after dinner and before nighttime?” he questioned the others.

Himiko hummed. “That’s oddly specific. I went to bed early because I was tired, around 9 PM and from what I saw, Angie and Kichi went to their rooms as well.”

The small boy nodded, and Angie cheerfully agreed.

 **Obtained truth bullet! Himiko’s account**

“I think we can safely confirm Kaito and I ‘s alibis, since we were talking outside until 9:30, I think.” Rantaro explained. “And while you were in your lab we came across Kiyo going to his room as well.” the taller boy nodded.

**Obtained truth bullet! Rantaro’s account**

"Say, Rantaro, where are Kaito and Miu?” Kiyo asked.

“I think they went to one of the bathrooms since Miu was starting to feel sick. I don’t exactly know where they are.” he replied.

There was a moment of silence before Shuichi realized something.

Where did Kirumi go earlier? She was with Maki, then alone, then the two met and she was alone again.

But just as he thought that, the maid entered the kitchen. “Any clues on your side? I will gladly help if necessary.”

Shuichi took a deep breath. “Where were you exactly?”

She turned to him. “I was checking my own lab. Last time we managed to get a clue in a lab we thought had no correlation with the case, so I preferred checking mine as well.”

Himiko raised an eyebrow. “What do you even have in your lab that could be poison?”

“Mostly cleaning products.” she answered. “Whether it’s detergent, bleach or other cleaning products, but none were missing.”

**Obtained truth bullet! Kirumi’s lab**

Angie tilted her head from side to side. “Can we confirm this fact, thought? You were alone in your lab after all.”

“Sure. If any of you wants to follow me I can guide you to my lab.” she offered.

Kokichi, Himiko and Angie went with her, leaving Shuichi, Kiyo and Rantaro together.

The three boys glanced at each other. Rantaro sighed. “I suppose you got the message, Kiyo?”

“Not to talk about Miu’s… ‘Incident’ unless strictly necessary?”

He nodded. “We should establish theories later, I know, but something clearly doesn’t make any sense in what we found.”

Maki came out of nowhere to take a glass of water. Her eyes clearly red from tears. She probably didn’t find anything on her own.

Rantaro took a deep breath. “I understand if you didn’t do any progress on the investigation, so can we, at least, have your alibi for yesterday between 8 PM and 10 PM?”

She paused for long seconds before quietly answering. “I was taking a walk with Kaede around 8 PM. We separated around 8:30 PM to get to our rooms, I think.”

 **Obtained truth bullet! Maki’s account**

Shuichi nodded. He just needed Miu’s, Ryoma’s and Keebo’s accou-

_**Ding dong bing bong!** _

The bell indicating the end of the investigation chimed in, to his surprise.

Rantaro sighed. “Let’s just get this over with. Come on, guys.”

They went to the shrine of judgement in silence. Everyone was there, looking more or less nervous.

The elevator came to transport them to the courtroom. Perhaps being silent was the best option.

The doors opened to the same room they were in days ago to execute Tenko for her ‘crime’. The two had killed to save them some time, but what about now? Someone killed Kaede most likely to get away with someone else. This wasn’t to save them all. This was to kill them.

They all went to their respective podiums in silence, Shuichi painfully noticing the sudden lack of people on his sides, portraits replacing the people who used to be here.

Tenko Chabashira, who was brutally executed for killing Gonta Gokuhara in a planned murder/suicide.

And Kaede Akamatsu, who was poisoned by someone, or more likely, two people willing to escape together.

The trial was about to start.

He had to get himself together.

For everyone’s sake.


	9. Chapter 2: The wolf and the lamb - Deadly life (part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The investigation is over, and the group must put their feelings aside to solve the truth of Kaede's murder.

…

Monokuma, just like last time, explained the rules of the class trial, even though they remembered them from last time.

No one wanted to talk first. Just like last time, they weren’t sure about what the ‘murder weapon’ was. Rantaro had said that something didn’t make sense in their discoveries, but Shuichi couldn’t bring this up as the first thing to talk about.

Tsumugi fiddled with her hair. “We know that Kaede was poisoned, but since I was looking in a lab where products weren’t missing, I guess you guys found things on your side?”

Kirumi was the first to speak. “None of the cleaning products in my lab were used. Himiko, Angie and Kokichi can testify to this.”

“Correct! The only product used was a laundry detergent bottle, but Kirumi said it was because she finished it yesterday when she was doing the laundry.” Himiko continued.

“Can we be sure about this though?” Tsumugi raised an eyebrow. “There is a possibility a part of it was used for something else.”

The maid maintained her elegant posture. “I cannot fully prove this, I am afraid.”

Keebo looked at the blue haired girl. “We should talk about the alibis later, let’s just hear about whether the groups found anything or not in the other labs.”

Ryoma tapped his fingers on the podium. “We can safely say that nothing was missing in Rantaro’s lab.”

Angie raised her hand. “I know! We went through Miu’s lab and some of the products were missing!”

The street artist stiffened. “W-what type of products?”

Kokichi fiddled with his hood. “It was both raw ingredients and perhaps finished products. And the lab looked like it was cleaned recently.”

Kiyo narrowed his eye. “Weren’t some of you in her lab yesterday with the portraits?”

Angie looked up to the ceiling. “Now that you mention it I did watch Miu prepare some of her paint in the lab.”

Kaito chimed in. “Well, that should be enough to prove that she didn’t use her products for this!”

“No one said anything about _her_ poisoning the drinks, you know.” Tsumugi interrupted. “You are quick to defend her, did something happen?”

The two’s hearts visibly skipped a beat.

“I didn’t do it! If I wanted to why would I use my own products? That’s suspicious as hell!” Miu yelled.

The girl with glasses shrugged. “I’m just saying we should keep that in mind for later.”

Shuichi tried to regain his composure. “Anyway, did anyone else try to look for another place where something could have been used as poison?” he asked.

Rantaro leaned on his podium. “I was busy guarding the corpse with Miu and Kaito, so I couldn’t do much on my own.”

Himiko frowned. “Hey, who made this drink anyway? Like it appeared in the fridge but now I’m curious.”

Kirumi crossed her hands. “It was two days ago. I am the one who made this drink with Miu. She had suggested a pool party with a few others, if I recall, and I accepted to help them.”

“Aw, man… I wish I was invited…” Shuichi heard Himiko mutter. He restrained himself from telling her otherwise.

Keebo concluded. “So nothing too serious, then.”

Rantaro fiddled with his necklace. “Not really. We were just chatting at the pool for a while.”

Maki looked at him. “Who was there exactly?”

Shuichi couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty about this whole story. “There were Kiyo, Rantaro, Kaito, Miu and I.”

“That explains a lot then.”

Everyone turned to Tsumugi.

“I don’t know what you guys are winning by doing this, but I don’t like it.”

Kaito glared at her. “What’s that supposed to mean? Can’t we enjoy some of our time here?”

“I’m just saying…” she said.

“That it’s not exactly productive to hide Miu’s attempt murder on you four.”

The room felt silent.

How did she know?? Did she see them? If she knew about this, did that mean she was the culprit?

“Huh?” Miu muttered, eyes widened.

“Is… Is it true, Miu?” Maki asked.

The four almost victims were silent.

“I’m disappointed. We’re supposed to look for the truth and you guys try to hide such an important detail.”

“H-Hold on! There’s no way Miu would do this… Right…?” Himiko turned to the accused.

Her podium went forward.

“I…” she muttered, her voice shaking.

“You organized the pool party, made the drinks with Kirumi and poisoned it with the products in your lab.” Tsumugi explained.

“I-I didn’t-” she tried to get the prodigy’s attention.

“After that, Kiyo, Rantaro and Shuichi went to your lab to destroy the products, but you kept a part of it on you if necessary, and poisoned Kaede with it.”

“Tsumugi, that’s enough.” Rantaro interrupted. “What do you gain from this?”

Her expression didn’t change. “Everyone’s lives, of course. Face it. We didn’t find any trace of poison anywhere else. The products came from her lab and she is the one to know exactly how to use them. Unless you have a reason to defend her?”

“First of all, how do you know all that? Were you perhaps spying on us and saw an opportunity to snatch some of the poison?” he replied, clearly skeptic of Tsumugi.

She took out her monopad. “That would be a shame if there was a possibility to know each of us’ location at all times. Just two days ago I was looking at my monopad and saw Kiyo, Shuichi, Miu, Kaito and you at the pool, then suddenly only you and Shuichi went to her lab, followed by Kiyo. Do you think I’m stupid enough to believe nothing happened?”

Silence fell once more on the courtroom.

“Besides we can now safely say she watched her motive video before everyone else and lied to us.”

Miu was shaking, tears filling her eyes. It was like words were stuck in her throat.

The blue haired girl still looked at the panicking Miu. “Well? Do you have something to s-”

“Tsumugi, I’m sorry but could you shut the fuck up for a second?”

Everyone turned to Rantaro, whose words shut Tsumugi up instantly.

“Excuse me?”

It was Rantaro. No one had ever seen him mad, but just hearing him say that absolutely shocked Shuichi. “You claim that because she used the products once, she would do it again, none other than two days after the incident?”

“Reverse psychology. It would be way too easy if it was her so we would brush off the theory. She used that tactic to convince us she is innocent. Face it, Rantaro. The poison comes from her lab. She is the only one who has full knowledge on what to use to kill someone instantly.”

“You know anyone can read a label, right? It’s literally written on the bottle if the product kills or not.”

“She is the one with the key to her own lab, you know?”

“ENOUGH!!!”

Miu yelled. She was gripping her podium so tightly Shuichi was wondering if it would break.

“I… It’s true. I can’t deny the truth I…”

She took a deep breath.

“I tried to kill Kaito, Shuichi, Rantaro and Kiyo two days ago with the products from my lab. And frame it on Kirumi.”

Her voice was shaking.

“But I didn’t kill Kaede! You have to believe me!”

“Show us some proof you didn’t do it and I’ll accept it.” the prodigy didn’t back down.

“Actually…” Shuichi started. If he let Kaito or Rantaro talk they would get nowhere. “Kiyo, Rantaro and I are the ones who cleaned up Miu’s lab after the incident. And Kaito and I were the ones who cleaned up after she finished our family portraits.”

He looked at Tsumugi with fake confidence. “And after visiting Miu’s lab during the investigation, the only products gone were the ones we used the day before.”

It was half a lie, but he had to do it.

Rantaro rested his head on his hand. “So? That’s enough proof for you?”

“I’ll accept it for now.”

He sighed.

Shuichi was silent. He glanced at Maki. Her eyes looked empty. He caught them watching the spot at his right. At Kaede’s portrait, black and white with a red cross drawn over it.

He felt really bad for her, but he understood her silence.

Himiko hesitated, but she asked. “But… Why did you guys hide such important evidence…? I wanna believe that you aren’t the culprit but at least we deserved to know…”

“And then?” Rantaro asked. He wasn’t mad. It looked like a genuine question.

“What do you mean?” the petite girl responded.

“Imagine us coming to you all and say that Miu tried to kill us, how would you react?”

That was the same as two days ago. The same question.

“I think I understand where you’re getting at.” Ryoma said. “No one would trust Miu anymore, she would most likely isolate herself, become the next victim or framed as the culprit when she had absolutely no chance of redeeming herself?”

That was a blunt way to put it. Shuichi didn’t even think of it this way. He wanted to tell him that’s not it but…

“Ohh… Ryoma, I knew men were insensitive but that’s just harsh.” Angie said, her eyes on the smaller man.

Shuichi noted that he should try to talk to Angie after the trial about this, but now was not the time.

“Am I wrong, though?” he asked. “If everyone else knew about what she did, that’s the perfect opportunity to pin the crime on her. Although…”

He glanced at everyone in the courtroom.

_“I’m starting to suspect one of the ‘pool party’ members is the culprit.”_

Shuichi froze, then looked at the rest of them. Was he suspecting Kaito? Was it Kiyo? Was it Rantaro? Was it him?

“I understand the fact that you suspect us, Ryoma. Are you suggesting we should talk about our alibis?”

“If none of you have any objections.” Ryoma added.

Shuichi knew something was wrong. He thought about what Rantaro said earlier.

_“Something clearly doesn’t make any sense in what we found.”_

What did he even think about?

“Should we proceed?” Keebo said.

Then it hit him.

“Alright, so-”

“Wait!”

Everyone turned to Shuichi.

“What is it?” Maki asked.

“I was thinking about something… Do you really think the poison was Miu’s chemicals?”

Tsumugi sighed. “Nothing else was missing in the products, how would it be something else?”

“No it’s just…” he took a deep breath. “Back when we were in the kitchen examining the beverage we noticed something…”

“By we, do you mean Kiyo, Rantaro and you?” Kokichi asked.

He replied. “Yes, since Miu’s… Incident is out I think we should concentrate on this problem for now.”

Rantaro continued. “Are you talking about the odorless drink?”

Shuichi nodded.

“When we smelled the drink, it didn’t smell like the ones we almost drank the other day. It smelled like whatever alcohol was originally used to make a normal drink.”

Maki spoke. “H-hold on, are you saying the original drink wasn’t poisoned?”

Angie chimed in. “Nope! I poured myself a glass of it yesterday, and I’m alive as far as I know.”

Miu nodded. “When I… Did the thing I didn’t poison the drink itself, I just poisoned the glasses themselves.”

Shuichi turned to Maki. “The point is, we got to know what those poisoned drinks smelled like. And the odor between both was clearly different.”

Kiyo confirmed. “Agreed. The smell was way stronger two days ago.”

Keebo hummed. “Yes, but couldn’t the smell have faded away?”

Miu sighed. “I don’t know if my testimony counts, but that stuff doesn’t loose it’s smell easily.”

Angie hummed. “I may not paint a lot, but paint has its own unique odor.”

Rantaro tapped his fingers on the podium. “Besides if the drink was covered like it was here I don’t think the smell would escape much.”

Kirumi raised an eyebrow. “So we were wrong about the murder weapon this whole time?”

Shuichi sighed. “I guess so…”

Kaito looked clearly annoyed. “So that whole ‘let’s reveal what happened two days ago’ was absolutely for nothing??”

Miu talked before anyone else could. “No. I think… I think we needed to talk about this. If the culprit tried to frame me that could be a major clue in the case and…” she dryly chuckled. “At least I got something off my shoulders.”

“I don’t see how exposing your crime would make you feel better, but whatever.” Tsumugi sighed.

“That’s besides the point.” Kiyo replied. “It’s fine to find who attempted to kill, but we have to remember our _motive_.”

Shuichi perked up. He almost forgot about that. “You mean there is a possibility the culprit tried to pin the crime on their accomplice?”

The therapist nodded. “That’s most likely what happened. We have to think and act carefully.”

Ryoma looked at Shuichi. “So if we keep in mind that the real culprit knew about Miu’s murder attempt, they’re still most likely from the pool party group.” his gaze shifted slightly to Shuichi’s right side. “… Or Tsumugi.”

The girl stopped fiddling with her hair. “And why would I reveal Miu’s murder attempt then? We know there was an accomplice. Why would I reveal to you all the main part of our supposed plan, assuming Miu chose me of all people to escape with?”

The small man shrugged. “I don’t know, you tell me, miss reverse psychology.”

“Could we please proceed to the real subject here?” Keebo asked, annoyed.

“You were awfully quick to throw your accusations at Miu. Almost as if you wanted everyone to vote for her.” Ryoma continued.

“I’m trying to make things easier. I am confident in my talent and my logic.” she replied.

“Guys! Just-” Himiko tried to separate them in vain.

“You really are trying to brush off all accusations off of you. We don’t even have concrete evidence that you were involved yet, and you are already awfully on the defensive. Do you have something to tell us?” he countered.

“As I just said, at least I’m trying to move forward in this case, unlike some of you here.”

“SHUT UP!!!”

Everyone turned to Maki. She was gripping her podium. From the look of things, she just wanted silence. Unfortunately she wouldn’t get it until the end of the trial.

“None of you are making it any better. Just shut up.”

She got a brief glare from Tsumugi. Surprisingly, Ryoma was silent.

Angie put her elbows on the podium, head resting on her hands. “Do you suspect Tsumugi as the culprit, Ryoma?”

He groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I said she was on the suspect *list*, not that she was the main suspect. Do you even listen?”

Shuichi tried to calm the tension. “We said we were going to talk about the real poison, since we proved that the paint wasn’t used as the poison here.”

Kokichi reluctantly continued. “But we also said there weren’t any other product that could have been used as poison missing…”

Himiko perked up: “That’s right! We searched through the labs over and over and nothing was missing aside from Miu’s products!”

Tsumugi crossed her hands. “But can we be sure we can trust the presence of the products?”

Kirumi raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

She regained a calm posture. “If Monokuma asked us to do the trial, that means the poison was in one of the labs we searched in, correct?”

The was a rhetorical question.

“Say Monokuma.” she turned to the bear. “Let’s suppose someone takes something from a lab, how much time has to pass before you refill the products?”

Monokuma laughed. “Why that is an excellent question! If something used as a poison is taken from a lab, I will wait 48 hours until I refill it again, unless it’s used, then in that case I won’t replace it! I can’t let any of you take stuff just so no one can commit felony with it, bear’s word!”

Kokichi’s eyes widened. “Does that mean someone can steal poison, wait two days to use it so they can use the presence of the product in the lab as an alibi?”

Tsumugi smiled. “I think our little mystery is solved.”

Maki narrowed her eyes. “So the poison could come from either Kirumi’s lab or Rantaro’s lab, so long as they took the poison two days ago?”

Shuichi put a finger on his chin. “That sounds plausible… But does that mean that anyone could be the culprit then?”

Kiyo looked at him. “The accomplice rule was only implanted yesterday. So someone took the poison after supposedly watching their motive video in secret, and waited for the perfect opportunity to strike, then came the accomplice rule, and they most likely chose an accomplice to do the work with.”

Kaito his head slightly. “But where did the poison even come from then?”

Kirumi closed her eyes briefly. “The products of my lab are constantly used. I highly doubt it came from here.”

Shuichi thought about the only other possibility.

Tsumugi crossed her arms. “Which leads to my number two suspect of this case. Someone who acted quite strangely ever since those videos came up.”

Shuichi’s heart skipped a beat. She didn’t mean…

The blue haired girl turned to her right.

_“Do you have anything to tell us, Rantaro?”_


	10. Chapter 2: The wolf and the lamb - Deadly life (part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The truth of Miu's attempted murder is out! But could it be? According to Tsumugi, Rantaro knows more than he lets know.

…

Shuichi’s heart skipped a beat.

He didn’t want to believe it but there was so much against him. He denied it for so long, but everything made sense. The way he led everyone after the motive videos appeared, him being a witness to the Miu incident, perhaps the need to go back and help soldiers on the battlefield, letting everyone investigate knowing full well no one would find any evidence against him…

Rantaro was silent. He was studying Tsumugi’s expression. Shuichi noticed he shot a quick glance at someone accross the room, but didn’t know who exactly.

“I see that you decided to make me the main suspect.” he replied.

“You could have taken away strong medical products to use in case you needed, and used the rule of the 48 hours for your advantage.”

He closed his eyes briefly. “I can see where you’re coming from, but that theory would have been plausible only if I knew about this rule at the time.”

Kaito tightened his grip on the podium. “No one knew about the rule until now, that could have been a coincidence!”

Rantaro raised a hand. “She is right to suspect me though. Monokuma isn’t a fully reliable source, so I could just lie about my ignorance and he wouldn’t say anything to help you.”

He continued. “But if as you say, I’m the culprit, then explain how exactly I proceeded to kill Kaede, from the day we got the motive videos to the moment I killed her.”

Tsumugi raised an eyebrow, but didn’t question Rantaro’s attitude. “The day we got the motive videos, you watched yours, and knowing full well what it contained, you decided to pretend you didn’t watch it. You went to the dining hall and prepared your plan. Everyone more or less trusted you at the time, so convincing everyone into locking up the tablets in your lab wasn’t a difficult task. Since no one could have access to your lab, you snatched a bottle of strong chemical from your lab and since you were in charge of your own lab, no one could see the disappearance of the product. Last night you or your accomplice poisoned Kaede and we wouldn’t have noticed a thing.”

The green haired boy put a finger on his chin. “While your theory is quite elaborated I can count 3 false claims that can be proven wrong.”

“If I recall, Monokuma said he would replace the products 48 hours after the person took it if no murder was committed, right?” Keebo asked. “If Rantaro took the product the moment we got the videos, Monokuma wouldn’t have replaced it since the murder was committed last night, and not this morning.”

“Yup! 48 hours without murder, not less, not more! I’m quite meticulous, you know??” Monokuma cheerfully added.

“Or Rantaro could have taken the product as a test the day his lab opened, in case he needed it. That would explain the replacement.” The blue haired prodigy added.

But Rantaro still had more to say. “Second off, that’s assuming I watched my video beforehand.”

Himiko chimed in. “Yeah! We saw his motive video with him! He was genuinely concerned, he didn’t know about the video, I just know it!”

Kokichi nodded.

Tsumugi’s face was enough to say that she didn’t think the two were smart enough to see through a potential lie. “And what about your third point? Because supposing Kaito is your accomplice, you two would cover each other’s alibis. So that point isn’t exactly valid.”

Rantaro didn’t flinch. “That’s not what I was about to say. What I meant was…”

He smirked.

_“You’re assuming **I** had the key to my lab two days ago.”_

Tsumugi fell speechless, much like the rest of the group.

“Excuse me?” she asked, a clear look of confusion on her face.

“You heard me.” He said, a hint of pride in his voice. “From the moment we locked the videos in my lab to the moment we took them out to watch them, I did not have the key to my lab.”

Kirumi frowned. “Explain yourself. We all put trust in you to guard the tablets and you’re saying you didn’t have the keys to your own lab? You’re gonna have to give a better excuse.”

“Except **_I_** can testify to that.”

She turned to Ryoma.

Shuichi was confused. “Hold on, you had the key to Rantaro’s lab?”

He nodded. “After locking the tablets in his lab, Rantaro came to me and asked me to keep the key instead of him, in case someone tried to take it away from him.”

“Precisely.” Rantaro confirmed. “I trusted Ryoma to keep the key. He had it on him from the moment I locked up the tablets to the moment we brought back the tablets yesterday morning. I think the ones in the dining hall when we got them can testify to that.”

Shuichi wasn’t here the entire time, but he remembered Rantaro and Ryoma coming back together with tablets. Of course he assumed Ryoma had only came with him to help carrying the tablets, but if Rantaro didn’t have the key, the situation was actually Ryoma unlocking the lab for Rantaro.

After a few nods from the ones in the dining hall at the time, Rantaro glared at Tsumugi. It wasn’t a strong glare, but the annoyance was clearly visible. “Are you satisfied now?”

“Ryoma could have done the-” she tried to defend her argument.

Rantaro put his elbows on the podium and put his face in his hands. “I didn’t know about the 48 hours rule, I didn’t have the key to my lab because I gave it to Ryoma, Kaito can confirm my alibi about the time of the murder, I didn’t watch my video beforehand, something that both Kokichi and Himiko can confirm…” He lifted his head and turned to her. “What more do you need??”

Shuichi stared at the Rantaro who just snapped. “If you, the ultimate prodigy with high intelligence, stay fixated on the fact that I potentially did it, we’re getting nowhere! So could you please listen to me for one second instead of thinking I’m some kind of genius mastermind even though I have nothing to gain from escaping??”

Miu looked baffled. “… Huh?”

He put his fist on his heart. “I am a war medic, A soldier. I don’t work in hospitals, I work on battlefields. While I do wish to get back to my crew to help them, what will they think of someone who sacrificed 14 teenagers just to help soldiers destined to fall at some point?”

He turned away from Tsumugi to face everyone in the room.

“While I’m not working as a soldier right now, I consider this academy my battlefield, and you are the people I swore to protect at all costs. And the only enemies I see are the mastermind and Monokuma, that I swear on my life and honor to defeat.”

“And betraying even just one of you would be the death of my honor and pride. And to call myself a soldier would be an insult to all my fallen comrades on the battlefield away from here.”

He slightly turned back to Tsumugi. “You can call me whatever name comes to your mind. You can tell me I’m creepy, ominous, stupid, ugly, or anything, but never try to insinuate I would betray my own honor to get out of this place ever again.”

He narrowed his eyes. “And I would rather die than to betray this loyalty I swore to myself.”

No one dared to say anything after that. Shuichi felt a little guilty for not believing him. Rantaro had explained to him the very first day about his duty and intentions. He really hoped he was not resentful.

“While I can also pledge my allegiance to you all as a soldier…” Ryoma was the first to speak after Rantaro’s speech. “… I think we should consider the very last option we have. I wanted to believe it had nothing to do with the case, but we don’t have a choice, do we?”

He turned to Keebo. The robot quickly glanced at Kirumi. Her expression was unreadable.

“Please do not get mad at us for hiding this fact, we simply thought that it would be preferable not to create a similar situation to before, with Miu’s incident. But we have no choice but to talk about the last possibility when it comes to what was the poison.”

Kiyo raised an eyebrow. “And that is?”

Both Keebo and Ryoma turned to Kirumi. The maid let out a sigh.

“The poison came from my lab.”

Shuichi blinked. Kirumi said earlier that it wasn’t the case, did Keebo and Ryoma try to cover her? More importantly, how did they know?

“Hold on! We could have avoided this whole debate whatsoever! You knew it was from your lab?” Miu yelled.

“When I said the poison didn’t come from my lab, I was talking about the cleaning products. But the real poison comes from my lab, I’m certain of it.”

“Kirumi… Do you have real poison in your lab?” Shuichi asked.

Himiko turned to the taller woman. “Hold on! Kirumi’s a maid! Why would she have poison in her lab?”

“Because her talent as a maid is a cover.” Ryoma replied.

_“Her real talent is ultimate mercenary.”_

Kirumi glared at Ryoma for a second then sighed. “This was the main reason why I didn’t want to show my motive video. If everyone knew about my real talent and methods of elimination, my lab would have been raided several times by now, and each and every one of you would have been suspicious of me from the start, just like Tsumugi was suspicious of Rantaro and Miu.”

“But now you’re even more suspicious!” Kaito yelled.

Angie put her elbows on the podium and placed her head on her palms. “What I want to know is how you knew the poison was from your lab when you never checked during the investigation as far as I know~”

Then Shuichi remembered. “Wait… When I left the library I met you in the hallway, but you never told me where you were going…”

She lowered her head. “Precisely. I was heading to my lab because I had my suspicions my secret was out and wanted to check. And one of the bottles was indeed missing.”

Angie tilted her head to the side. “Checking your lab alone? Suspicious coming from a trained-”

Rantaro leaned forward. “We’ll talk about her talent later. Kirumi, what type of poison was missing from your lab?”

“An odorless, transparent poison. It kills the target in a matter of minutes. Which would match with the real poison, if as you say, the beverage didn’t smell that much.”

Kiyo put a finger on his chin. “Then whoever used it knew about your real talent.”

Shuichi frowned “Then it leaves us with 3 main suspects, which are Kirumi, Ryoma and Keebo.”

The three podiums went forward.

Tsumugi put her elbows on her podium and crossed her hands. “We need your alibis for between 8 PM and 12 AM. Do not even try to lie your way through.”

The three suspects exchanged glances.

“Kirumi, you told me earlier you were in your lab from 9 PM to 10 PM doing laundry. You had time to get the poison, right?” Keebo said.

“And what exactly would I gain from telling you all about the disappearance of the poison? I know the suspicions are on me, but I prefer telling the truth right now.” she confidently replied.

“We could talk about a gamble, and a way to pin the crime on someone else. Such as Keebo or me.” Ryoma added.

“We know the culprit tried to pin the crime on Miu, so that can’t be it.” Keebo said.

“Ryoma, you were close to Rantaro, you could have told him about Kirumi’s talent and him telling you about the Miu incident, meaning you two are the accomplices.” Kirumi suggested. “That would come back to Tsumugi’s theory.”

“And I would go back to what Rantaro said. We’re no war criminals. Besides I learned about the Miu incident as the same time as you all.”

“If we keep accusing each other we’re getting nowhere.” Keebo said. “And… I think I can back up Ryoma’s alibi.”

The smaller man nodded. “I was talking with Keebo in the warehouse from 9 PM to around 11 PM. After that Keebo had to go back to charging so we went back to the dorms, and we saw no one out.”

Keebo narrowed his eyes. “That would mean we both are clean, right?”

The two boys’ podiums went back, leaving only Kirumi at the center.

“One minute.” The mercenary raised a hand. “As much as I doubt the person in question did it, I think we should still include them in the suspect list.”

Rantaro raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t know if any that’s the case for other people, but…”

She trailed off, then decided to finish her sentence.

“The motive video I got wasn’t mine.”

This was a scenario no one had ever thought of. They all assumed everyone had theirs. But if Kirumi was telling the truth, then there was indeed a 4th suspect. But why would everyone get their own videos except Kirumi and whoever had her video?

Miu didn’t seem to buy it. “How can we know if you aren’t lying? You hided the fact that poison was missing from your lab all along and let the others accuse Rantaro and I!”

She ignored the street artist. ”While I cannot say for certain the person who got my video watched it, or even did the crime, I feel like I should share this information.”

Shuichi stared at her, worry in his eyes. “W-Whose video did you have?”

“If someone else knew my real talent aside from Keebo and Ryoma…”

She turned slightly to her right.

_“… Then it would be you, Maki Harukawa.”_


	11. Chapter 2: The wolf and the lamb - Deadly life (part 4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The two main suspects are out! Could it be the ultimate tailor, Maki or the ultimate maid, actually mercenary Kirumi Tojo?

The tailor slowly lifted her head.

“… Excuse me?” she turned to Kirumi.

She lowered her head. “As I said, I do not see any reason why you would kill Kaede, seeing how close you two were, but you had my motive video, didn’t you?”

“I saw your name on the tablet and turned it off, then brought it to the others like everyone else in this godforsaken room.” Maki sounded really mad, tears in the corner of her eyes.

Ryoma sighed. “Kirumi, for someone backed into a corner, using Maki as a scapegoat is a low blow coming from you.”

She tightened the grip on her podium. “As I said, I highly doubt Maki would do such a thing, but we cannot ignore the possibility.”

“SHUT UP!!”

Maki yelled, her voice cracking. “You have no idea what you’re talking about! If I even tried to kill anyone to get out of here with someone, that would have been with Kaede and no one else!!”

Kirumi held onto her podium. “I know I didn’t do it, I said it’s between Keebo, Ryoma and you, since you three knew about my talent.”

“I didn’t!!” Maki shouted. “I didn’t and I learned at the same time as everyone else!”

Rantaro tried to calm the two. “Hold on, let’s just calmly talk through this, we’ll know whether Kirumi and Maki are lying or not.”

Tsumugi nodded. “Agreed. We’ve lost enough time talking about useless nonsense. We’ll know who’s lying when we get to the alibis.”

Maki glared at Tsumugi for a few seconds, then took a deep breath. “I took a walk with Kaede around 8 PM and we went to our respective rooms at 8:30 PM, and I didn’t leave my room after that.”

Shuichi turned to the ‘maid’. “Kirumi said she was in her lab from 9 PM to 10 PM.”

Keebo looked at Ryoma. “And Ryoma and I were in the warehouse from 9 PM to 11 PM, then my battery was almost out so we went back to the dorms.”

Miu weakly raised her hand. “I… I couldn’t sleep well and I heard some noise outside my room around 11 PM… I didn’t check who it was but I can say that from 11 PM to 12 AM no one left or entered the dormitory, if that helps.”

Tsumugi placed one hand on her podium. “So Ryoma and Keebo are clean, which leaves us Kirumi and Maki.”

Angie tapped a finger on her chin. “Which also means the killer did everything before 11 PM!”

“Although there is something I don’t understand.” Ryoma crossed his arms. “Doesn’t the method of elimination look strange to you guys?”

Rantaro replied. “Now that you mention it, Miu poisoned the glasses back then, not the entire bowl… Do you think the culprit thought we would all assume Miu would be lying when she said she poisoned the glasses and not the bowl?”

The smaller man shook his head. “Not what I was thinking about but that’s definitely a possibility.”

Shuichi thought about it, then realized. “You don’t mean-”

“Exactly.” Ryoma said.

_“Anyone here could have been the victim. It didn’t matter whether it was Kaede or someone else.”_

“Wait… The culprit didn’t even care about who the victim was? Does that mean they don’t have an accomplice?” Kaito asked.

“We’re getting closer to the truth~” Angie commented.

“But Maki said if she wanted to escape it would be with Kaede! That means the culprit is Kirumi, right?” Himiko jumped in.

“Hold on a second-” the mercenary tried to defend herself.

“Not that I’m trying to defend Kirumi, but I don’t think we can completely rule out the ‘they had an accomplice’ possibility.” Tsumugi interfered.

“What do you mean?” Shuichi asked.

“While ‘the culprit didn’t care about who died because they had no accomplice’ is definitely a plausible theory, I think we can also keep in mind someone could have been indirectly included in the plan.”

“You mean the culprit told someone they were going to poison the drink so the other person made sure they didn’t drink it?” Rantaro suggested.

“But in both cases, there was never a matter of an accomplice being used a scapegoat so the blackened would win to begin with, right?” Angie asked.

Kiyo continued. “And there is a high chance the two were part of the same group when watching the videos, if your theory is correct.”

Himiko pouted. “But we know the accomplice didn’t do anything directly!”

“That can still help us understand the culprit’s motive.” Rantaro gained the attention of everyone. “Kirumi’s group was formed of Ryoma, Keebo and herself. I know Ryoma has nothing to gain from escaping just like me and while this is only a gut feeling, I don’t think Keebo would do it due to… His nature, no offense.”

“None taken.” the robot replied.

“And my group had Maki, Kaede, Angie and myself. And we know Maki’s choice of accomplice would have been Kaede herself.” Tsumugi added.

“I can confirm this…” Shuichi muttered.

Kaito frowned. “What are we even questioning at this point? If Maki decided to kill someone to escape with Kaede she would have told her! Kirumi is the only choice we have!”

Kirumi’s annoyance was clearly visible at this point. “I also have nothing to gain from escaping. My life wasn’t exactly wonderful before the game.”

Keebo winced. “I can confirm this as well…”

“But if we focus on who has a motive and who hasn’t we’re getting nowhere! She could have done it just for survival!” Miu yelled.

As everyone was debating, Shuichi noticed Kiyo suddenly lifting his head.

“Can we be sure Maki would have told Kaede about her supposed plan, though?” he said.

“What?” Maki turned to the therapist.

“I think we all remember when Kaede broke her tablet in front of all of us. She said she wasn’t going to let a motive be the end of her.” he added, visibly nervous. 

Shuichi was starting to panic. “Hold on! Even if Kaede wasn’t going to go along with Maki’s potential plan to escape, that gives no reason for Maki to kill her!”

_“I’m saying Kaede’s death could have been an accident.”_

Everyone turned to Kiyo.

“Are you saying I killed someone on accident, and Kaede of all people??” Maki exclaimed.

“Trust me, I want to be wrong, but this is definitely a possibility, considering how Kaede acted after watching the videos.” he explained.

“So either Kirumi killed Kaede with no accomplice at all or Maki killed Kaede when her intent was to kill someone else…” Rantaro continued.

The class continued to debate on which theory was more plausible until-

“Puhuhuh… Am I hearing a split opinion?” Monokuma chuckled.

“Not this shit again…” Kaito groaned.

Rantaro sighed. “We don’t have a choice do we?”

“Nope!” the bear exclaimed as he played with the key.

The podiums started floating and separated into two sides. Shuichi also noticed the portraits of Kaede and Gonta on the right and Tenko’s portrait on the left.

_Who is the culprit?_

On the left, Kirumi, Keebo, Kokichi, Tsumugi, Ryoma and Kiyo.  
 _The culprit is Maki!_

On the right, Maki, Shuichi, Himiko, Miu, Kaito, Rantaro and Angie.  
 _The culprit is Kirumi!_

_Scrum debate, start!_

_**Kiyo:**_ Maki killing Kaede on **accident** is definitely a possibility.

_**Himiko:**_ Even if Kaede wasn’t part of the plan, Maki could have still told Kaede not to drink the beverage and prevent an **accident**!

_**Keebo:**_ Maki’s **alibi** is way too vague to be ignored…

_**Miu:**_ Kirumi was literally in her lab during a full hour, her **alibi** is way more suspicious!

_**Kirumi:**_ I only checked if poisons were **missing** this morning, there is a possibility she could have retrieved it two days ago.

_**Kaito:**_ You spent a huge amount of time in your lab and you say you didn’t know the poison was **missing**?

_**Kokichi:**_ But if Kirumi says the **truth** , Maki wouldn’t have to take long to just go in the kitchen and poison the drink…

_**Angie:**_ Kirumi knew the **truth** of the missing poison from the beginning, is trusting her really a good idea?

_**Ryoma:**_ If both of them knew about the **drink** , both of them could have done the deed.

_**Maki:**_ Kirumi literally prepared the **drink** with Miu, she knew about the best method to sabotage it!

_**Tsumugi:**_ It doesn’t take a genius to read the etiquette on the **bottle**.

_**Rantaro:**_ Yet it would have taken an immense amount of time for Maki to find the right **bottle** in Kirumi’s lab.

_**Kirumi:**_ I am telling you the truth, I am not the **killer**!

_**Shuichi:**_ Both of you could be the **killer** , we just need to think back about the remaining clues!

The podiums went back to normal.

“But what clues are we missing?!” Miu exclaimed. “They both have their alibis, which are more or less flawed!”

Angie crossed her hands, elbows on the podium. “And both could be lying, even though my doubts are on Kirumi~”

Shuichi lowered his head. Think, think think!-

He suddenly froze.

…

_No one knew about Kaede going to the library yesterday, at night._

_No one knew that she was stressed and needed to write in her notebook to relax._

_Kaede wasn’t even feeling down after destroying her tablet this morning, she had a newborn confidence to help her get through this._

_The only reason she could have felt nervous was if someone warned her about something._

_Only one person could have warned her about something coming._

_That ‘something’ being a murder._

“…”

.

.

“…-i…”

.

.

“Shuichi…”

.

.

“SHUICHI!!!”

The young boy was startled by Rantaro, who had woken him up from his state.

“Did you find something? You look unusually pale.” the medic asked.

Shuichi opened his mouth, shaking. “I…”

“I know who the culprit is.”

Tsumugi fiddled with a hair strand. “Did you remember a major clue?”

He nodded.

"Maki… You…”

“I didn’t do it!” she cried. “I didn’t kill Kaede, I swear!”

“But everything falls into place! Please, even though you didn’t do it on purpose we need to know the truth!”

“There is no way I would kill Kaede, I only briefly talked to her last night and then I went to my room!”

“It’s that meeting that pushed Kaede to go out, whether you intended it or not!”

Shuichi remembered what Kirumi said only a few days ago.

_“If another class trial occurs, perhaps the culprit won’t be as merciful as Tenko. Perhaps cornering them would be necessary, and being passive would lead to nothing.”_

Shuichi had to make Maki and everyone else understand. He had to, for everyone’s sake.

<HowdoIwriteArgumentArmaments.txt>

“This is clearly wrong!”

“I didn’t ask her anything of the sort!”

“Everything you

say is just

about suspicions!”

“I would have never thought about doing this…”

_“I knew Kaede more than anyone else!”_

“She was my everything!”

“I would have told her 

if I even planned

on doing anything!”

_“I can’t let you accuse me of being responsible for her death!”_

“Kaede wouldn’t have wanted me to commit murder!”

“It’s just natural

I would think about her

before acting!”

“I can’t believe any of you… “

“This is purely wrong!”

_“And how would you know how Kaede felt??”_

**_Night time brief meeting_**

“Maki… Kaede was confident this morning and suddenly felt nervous before going to the library… You said something to her, right?”

“Besides, I can confirm her being nervous, since I came across her when I left the library.” Tsumugi added.

“I am not the culprit! You- You have to believe me!” she yelled, tears flowing from her eyes.

Rantaro looked away from Maki. “Let’s just… Go through this one more time, shall we?”

Shuichi nodded.

_Everything started the day we got the motive videos. The culprit and Kirumi had each other’s videos. The culprit watched Kirumi’s motive video until the very end, learning her real talent as the ultimate mercenary._

_However when they came to the dining hall, they followed the group and said they didn’t watch it._

_We established the groups and the culprit made sure they weren’t with Kirumi, and eventually officially learn about her talent._

_The Miu incident came, where Miu tried to kill us with homemade poison made with chemicals from her lab. This was mostly out of instinct, because she had watched her own video._

_The killer somehow learned about the incident, and tried to use it at their advantage._

_The culprit had enough time that night to go through Kirumi’s lab to search for a poison that would allow them to use Miu as a scapegoat, most likely an odorless poison not to raise any suspicions for the potential victim._

_The next day came the accomplice motive and the motive videos being watched by groups. This was the perfect opportunity for the culprit to strike, since they had someone to protect._

_Kaede, however, was not willing to let the motive video influence her or make her try to do anything, even though she wanted to escape._

_The culprit panicked, they had the perfect plan but an accomplice most likely unwilling to cooperate, so they had to stay silent about the plan not to mess things up.  
_

_Around 8 PM, Kaede and the culprit talked to each other, the former not knowing about the latter’s plan. The culprit warned Kaede about someone potentially doing something, so they had to be careful and stay in their room._

_After pretending to go back to their room, the culprit left again to use the poison they had kept. Just poisoning the beverage, and leave. The victim would potentially be dead by the next day. The culprit just tried to make sure Kaede didn’t leave her room._

_However their attempt to make her stay in her room backfired, and Kaede, as an attempt to relax, went to the library to write for a bit without thinking twice._

_Around 12 AM, she must have felt thirsty and went to the kitchen to get something to drink, and saw the beverage. She took a glass and returned to the library._

_Just one sip was enough to kill her. She died without knowing who sabotaged the drink._

_The next day, we all found her dead body, and that’s when the culprit realized their mistake._

_And the culprit…_

_Is none other than you… Maki Harukawa, the ultimate tailor._

…

“Please Maki… It’s over…” Shuichi pleaded.

“I… I… I didn’t…”

“You still won’t admit it, huh?” Tsumugi muttered. “It’s fine. We have our culprit. Monokuma, we’re ready to vote.”

“No, wait!!-” Maki yelled, turning to the bear.

“Aaaaaaalrighty then! My favorite moment, it’s voting time!”

“Please! I-I’m not the culprit! Y-You have to believe me!” the tailor begged, tears streaming down her face, her eyes red from the crying.

The faces of everyone appeared on the screens of the podiums. Shuichi felt a tear in the corner of his eye. He didn’t want this. But he had to.

He closed his eyes and pressed on Maki’s icon.

…

“Now then, it seems the voting has finished. Let’s see the result.” Monokuma declared.

The giant screen turned on and everyone’s icons appeared.

12 votes for Maki Harukawa and 1 vote for Kirumi Tojo.

A picture of Maki appeared on the right, indicating the majority vote.

She was shaking, unable to say a word.

“Who’ll be chosen as the blackened? Will you make the right choice or the dreadfully wrong one!?” Monokuma continued his usual speech.

**VERDICT**

The wheel turned for a few seconds before slowing down… And landing on Maki.

The coin machine on the screen made its distinct jingle, and coins rolling out of it.

Maki froze at the sight. Fists clenched, shaking.

“Oh my! You all voted correctly! What an unexpected and unpredictable outcome!”

Shuichi glanced at Maki. He had never seen her so horrified.

_“The blackened who killed Kaede Akamatsu is Maki Harukawa, the Ultimate tailor!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm out here to make you feel sad. No need to pay me, it's free.


	12. Chapter 2: The wolf and the lamb - Deadly life (part 5)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maki Harukawa is the real culprit! The trial comes to an end.

…

Shuichi didn’t want to believe this.

“Maki… Even if your target wasn’t Kaede… Why?”

She didn’t respond.

“Hey! I know I’m not exactly innocent in all of this but why?” Miu exclaimed.

“…”

“I think we deserve at least some explanation on your part.” Kirumi said.

“…”

She sighed. “…It’s true. I killed Kaede.” she muttered. “Out of all the people who could have taken the drink it just had to be her- I’m just…”

Her voice cracked. “Why…?”

“Even if your intention was to kill someone else… What pushed you to do this?” Keebo asked.

“I was desperate!” she yelled at him. “My siblings need me! Kaede has family and friends out here waiting for her! I knew she was too pure to try to do anything by herself, even in this situation! She felt so helpless I-” She paused.

“I had to help her. I didn’t want her to get her hands dirty… So I acted alone. I knew she would try to stop me if I told her about my plan. But if I didn’t act quickly someone else would have taken advantage of her kindness and potentially tried to kill her.”

She paused. “… And I ended up killing her. I’m… I’m a monster.”

“… And you didn’t care about who the victim was supposed to be?” Rantaro asked.

She let out a dry laugh. “What’s the use of choosing a victim in the first place? If I won this trial everyone would be dead by now.”

“I didn’t think about it this way…” Kaito looked away.

Miu flinched. This was also what she had in mind when planning the murder.

“But I have to say, there is something wrong in what you said about the killing method.” she admitted.

Shuichi blinked. “Huh?”

“I never knew about Miu’s murder attempt. It was pretty much a windfall. Having someone to blame without even asking for it.”

Miu jumped. “You didn’t know?? But why did you poison the drink then??”

Maki shook her head. “I learned about it at the same time as you all. And the drink was the easiest to sabotage, I saw it in the fridge and it didn’t require me to prepare anything, so that was the best option.”

Rantaro glanced at Tsumugi. “So all of this could have been avoided.”

Tsumugi didn’t flinch. “Don’t look at me like that, it was a theory that could have helped us.”

Miu raised a hand. “No, it’s fine. At least I got this off my shoulders. And I’m deeply sorry this ever happened.”

Kirumi changed the subject. “May I ask, Monokuma…”

She turned to him. “Why were Maki and I’s motive videos exchanged? Supposing we’re the only two in that situation.”

The Monokubs started sweating. “W-Well-” Monotaro was shaking.

The black and white bear took out his claws. “Yes, why indeed, when I asked you to give them to their respective owners, did those two get switched?!”

Monophanie couldn’t form a sentence before puking on the ground.

Monosuke fixed his glasses, looking away. “I-it was an accident I’m sure-”

“Geez! Monosuke! You should clean your glasses more often!” Monotaro put his paws on his sides.

“So a pure accident then…” Rantaro muttered.

“You all talk about feelings and everything but that’s boring! I want to tell you all a lil’ something!”

Monokuma interrupted the silence.

“What do you want?” Ryoma glared at him.

_“Well, it turns out that someone here knew who the culprit was and didn’t even bother saying anything during the entire trial!”_

Almost everyone jumped at the bear’s declaration.

“Wait, I thought Kaede was supposed to be the one being the indirect accomplice!” Kaito exclaimed.

“I don’t have anything to do with this! I didn’t tell anyone about my plan!” the tailor countered.

“Kirumi~” Angie tilted her head to the side. “You knew a lot about this, didn’t you?”

“I didn’t know Maki was the one who did it. I was only confident when the main suspects were only us two.” she replied.

Miu was confused. “But why didn’t anyone say anything??”

Shuichi glanced at everyone, hoping to get an answer…

_When his eyes landed on Kokichi._

He was abnormally pale, and slightly shaking. There was guilt written all over his face.

“Kokichi… Do you know something about this?” the blue-eyed teen asked.

The smaller boy jumped at the accusation “I-…”

All eyes were on him now. Maki was probably the most confused one. It’s clear the two never talked about this.

“It’s my fault. It’s my fault Kaede died i-it’s my fault Miu was accused and-and it’s my fault e-everything went wrong it’s m-my fault-” he started rambling, dropping to his knees, hands on his head.

Himiko went down and put her hands on his shoulders. “Kichi!-”

_**“DON’T TOUCH ME!”** _

He violently shook Himiko off and took a few steps back. He was breathing heavily, tears in the corner of his eyes. If Shuichi had to guess, he was probably doing a panic attack.

“Kichi…?” the red-haired girl didn’t seem angry, just worried.

“It’s always my fault when something like that happens! If I wasn’t there everything would have been perfectly fine! I’m always the one ruining everything!” he yelled.

“But if Maki did it, how exactly is this your fault?” Shuichi asked.

Kokichi looked at him for a few seconds, then nervously laughed.

“B-Because… You all forget that my very own existence is problematic… I tried to warn you all but… T-This always end up with death and suffering, i-it’s my fault…”

Rantaro pondered for a moment then seemed to get it. “Are you talking about your talent?”

Miu frowned. “What does his talent have to do with anything?”

Kokichi hid his face in his knees, trying to make himself smaller. “Maki poisoned the bowl and left the victim to chance, right? It’s only natural the one she tried to protect would end up being the one dying…”

He paused.

“… That’s the ultimate karma for you.”

Kaito raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Wait, so you’re saying that because Maki tried to kill one of us… You simply existing made her plan fail and made Kaede the victim…?”

He nodded, refusing to look at the biker in the eyes.

Kiyo looked at Shuichi. “So that’s what you wanted to tell us about during the investigation?”

Shuichi’s eyes widened in realization.

—

_“Wait, Kiyo, Shuichi…”_

_The two turned around._

_“What is it, Kokichi?”_

_He looked like he was wondering something. “I… Think I’ll tell you two, but please don’t tell anyone else.”_

_He took a few seconds to compose himself. He took a deep breath but…_

_“Nevermind. Forget it.”_

_Kiyo noticed his breathing was heavier than usual. “Are you su-”_

_“Kichiiiiiiiiiiiiii Kiyo and Shuichi! We’re waiting for you guys!” Himiko yelled from just outside the lab._

_“We’ll discuss it later. Let’s go.”_

—

He silently nodded.

“I realized the moment Maki looked at Kaede’s body. I knew she had tried something and it ended up going against her. I wanted to believe that wasn’t the case but…” he paused.

“…That’s just how things are. I’m a parasite always ruining people’s lives and there’s nothing anyone can do about it.” he muttered, his voice muffled.

“I know I should just stop existing for the sake of everyone… But I never had the courage to actually end it all.”

The group stayed silent. Maki didn’t even say anything. She didn’t even look like she was blaming him, which was a good thing, considering his current state.

“You’re wrong.” Himiko stood up and approached Kokichi. “You’re not a parasite at all and you can’t say all those things about yourself! Your talent is the ultimate karma but you didn’t choose it! You don’t have to feel bad for people being punished for their bad actions! I know you feel responsible since your talent is about indirectly punishing bad people…”

She extended her hand to him. “… But as long as we don’t do bad actions, nothing can stop us, right?”

He lifted his head and looked at her.

“And if we do good actions, that’s double the reward!” she smiled brightly at him.

He looked at the ground for a moment and slowly approached his gloved hand to Himiko’s. He hesitated for a moment, but took it. 

After standing up, Kokichi brushed the dust off his hoodie. He turned to Maki but couldn’t look her in the eyes for long. “… I’m sorry. I’m not stupid, I know it’s my fault Kaede ended up the one dying. But… No one can say that one life matters more than another… At least that’s what I think.”

Maki couldn’t even say anything. She clenched her fists but let it go shortly after, and crossed her arms under her coat, looking away.

“It seems like our blackened hasn’t got anything else to say!” Monokuma broke the silence.

The girl in question lifted her head, her back turned to Monokuma and his podium.

Shuichi could see fire in her eyes. She looked determined… To do what?

The remaining monokubs commented, saying that it was their favorite moment.

It was time for Maki to get executed.

“I… Refuse to die.” she muttered.

“What’s this? I didn’t quite hear you!” Monokuma tilted his robotic head to the side.

“I will survive no matter what. Even if Kaede is dead because of me… She wouldn’t have wanted me to die.” she continued.

“You know the rules! The blackened must get punished!”

“AND I SAID I WILL SURVIVE!!!” she yelled desperately.

Everything went so fast.

Maki ran towards Monokuma. The bear didn’t have much time to react when-

She took out scissors from under her coat and stabbed him in the red glass eye.

The robotic bear started beeping and Maki threw the bear across the room before he exploded, shattering the stained glass.

The ground started shaking, the spotlights from behind the glass and huge rocks falling in the courtroom.

The Monokubs were panicking, much like everyone else.

An alarm suddenly went off, the lights started flickering and the giant screen which had indicated Maki’s guiltiness earlier turned on.

“Puhuhuhuhu… It looks like we’re having a few technical difficulties! Everyone, please calmly exit the room using the following stairs!” Monokuma said through the screen, and a green light next to the elevator started flickering, reading “Emergency exit”.

So many questions ran through Shuichi’s head, but his attention was caught by the Monokubs.

“This is bad- blurughrugh!” Monophanie puked.

“But we can’t let the blackened escape, this is punishment time!” Monosuke yelled.

“Papa!” Monotaro was still focused on the spot Maki threw Monokuma at.

“WE-MUST-FOLLOW-THE-RULES.” Monodam said.

“Maki!” Himiko yelled when she saw the girl running towards the stairs and climb them 3 steps at a time.

“I’m not dying here! I will escape!!” she yelled through the noise.

“LET’S-GIVE-IT-EVERYTHING-WE’VE-GOT. IT’S-PUNISHMENT-TIME.” Monodam jumped on Monokuma’s seat, taking the toy hammer and pressing the small red button with it.

**GAME OVER**

_Maki has been found guilty._

_Time for the punishment!_

Maki ran up the stairs, finally reaching the exit, right next to the elevator in the shrine of judgement.

[ _**(BGM -Yes it’s not a DR execution theme I know-)** _ ](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DQkML_4j586Q&t=OWMxMDcwMmVmZThiYzgwMmUwM2Q1YjFjNDQyMTY4MzU0MDE4OWExZCxXZmlVOHVPVg%3D%3D&b=t%3AaEnQvCCauXagTyrPelg-AA&p=https%3A%2F%2Fkagazuly.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F620275495935901696%2Fbeta-au-main-story-chapter-2-deadly-life-part&m=1)

While she expected outside to be dark because it would have been nighttime by now, she actually could see nothing but darkness, and not even the night sky. It was like she wasn’t even outside, just in another room that wasn’t where she was supposed to be.

Her vision was limited to only a few meters around her. The rest of her surroundings were pure darkness.

Suddenly an arrow was shot out of nowhere, slightly cutting her thigh.

**Kagome Kagome  
Ultimate tailor Maki Harukawa’s execution: Executed**

She ran as fast as she could.

More arrows were shot out of nowhere, most of them missing but some of them cutting her in various places.

The adrenaline rushed into her body. She couldn’t stop running, even though she had no idea where she was going. There were no walls anywhere, she could just feel the grass beneath her feet.

As Maki kept running, she felt an arrow piercing her left palm. But she remembered that taking it off would only make things worse, so she left it. She felt another arrow piercing her right wrist.

She desperately kept running. More arrows cutting her the more she slowed down because of her injuries.

Once she felt two arrows piercing her ankles, the pain was too much and she fell to the ground.

Maki tried to crawl to move, but another arrow shot her in the back.

Panting, on her knees, she put her right palm to the ground to breathe, but felt something on the ground.

Something thin she hadn’t noticed.

It was a string, connected to one of the arrows that pierced her. That was the case of all of the arrows in her body.

Before she could reach for the arrow in her left hand, she felt tiny spikes stabbing her where the arrows had been.

 _They weren’t arrows,_ she realized. _They were grappling hooks._

Maki felt her body floating, dragged backwards into the darkness, before abruptly stopping. Her body was now a puppet floating, and she felt an immense pain in every single part of her body.

A spotlight turned on from above, illuminating her injured body.

Now at the mercy of whoever was directing her execution, giving up was the only option.

Maki felt like her body was being cut into pieces, with sharp scissors slicing her everywhere, but she also noticed her outfit being changed as well.

Black boots, purple stockings, a dark purple skirt, a purple jacket on a black, long sleeved shirt, an orange tie and a different hat on her head…

_She was wearing Kaede’s usual outfit._

Maki felt tears rolling down her cheeks, and before falling into eternal unconsciousness, felt one last arrow piercing her heart.

Back in the shrine of judgement, the others all came out of the stairs, waiting for something to happen.

The door opened, and in the courtyard was floating the mangled body of Maki, cut from all sides and positioned like a broken marionette.

The students stared in horror at the girl’s corpse, blood dripping from all parts.

_Maki Harukawa, the ultimate tailor, was dead._

Tenko’s execution was brutal, but this… This was beyond insane. Shuichi felt sick looking at her.

“Good grief! That woman was a pain to keep in control! Kids these days…”

Monokuma’s voice was heard from behind.

Everyone stared at him.

“Now now! The trial is over and it’s…” he looked at his wrist even though he had no watch. “… 10:20 PM! Now shoo! I have important matters to take care of!”

The was a moment of silence as the students kept staring at the bear.

“What? I said shoo! Shoo! Go to sleep!” he said, gesturing at everyone.

“I thought there was a mastermind among us who needed to create another one of you by themselves!! But we’re all here and you were destroyed?” Himiko exclaimed.

The bear took out his metal claws. “Excuse me! I’m a very autonomous bear and I don’t need some stupid humans to function correctly!”

Everyone stared at each other.

“… Although he is right. We should go to sleep for now. Today has been… Long, to say the least.” Kiyo said, looking down.

Shuichi nodded.

The walk to the dormitory was silent. Shuichi glanced at everyone to see how they were doing.

Himiko had her hood on the head, Kokichi walking next to her as an attempt to confort each other.

Miu and Kaito were walking next to each other, Miu looking at the ground and Kaito patting her shoulder.

“Hey.”

It was Rantaro’s voice. It was low, as a sign Shuichi was the only person he was talking to.

“Hmm?”

“You feeling alright?” he asked.

The boy looked at the ground. “It’s just… Maki didn’t deserve to be killed so… Horribly.”

Rantaro nodded. “… Unfortunately this is the world we live in right now. If we kill someone we must accept what’s coming to us. We have to get together to make sure not let our emotions manipulate us and let another incident like this one happen ever again.”

As much as he hated it, it was the truth.

They reached the dormitories and some of them exchanged a few ‘good nights’ before going to their respective rooms.

Shuichi closed the door and let his body slide down against it. He couldn’t even shed a single tear.

Kaede had put her entire trust into Maki, and Maki ended up accidentally killing her in an attempt to escape together.

Maki did her best to escape, she even managed to get rid of Monokuma for a few minutes.

Why did she still get executed? Was the mastermind behind all of this? They thought it was one of them but was it, really?

He didn’t know, and he didn’t have the energy to think about it.

Shuichi went to sleep as an attempt to forget.

They were going to get through this.

They had to, for their deceased friends.

They had to keep on living.


	13. Chapter 3: What is beyond humans’ control - Daily life (part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maki Harukawa, the accidental killer of Kaede Akamatsu, was brutally executed even after managing to get rid of Monokuma. The group mustn't loose hope, ever.

Day 9 since the beginning of the game.  
7:00 AM.

Shuichi laid awake on his bed, the vision of Maki’s corpse still in his mind.

He had woken up several times during the night. He tried taking a shower, fidgeting with one of the items he got at the Monomono machine, but nothing really helped.

He gave up on sleeping and prepared himself to go to the dining hall, and perhaps find other people like him.

He actually didn’t see anyone on his way, to his surprise.

Suddenly, as he entered the main building, he spotted Monosuke, who looked liked it had been crushed by a huge falling object. He remembered the circumstances of Maki’s execution. Did the bear even escaped with the others? Monokuma probably took the remaining pieces and put them here.

Speaking of Monokuma, he appeared out of nowhere.

“My sweet monokub… It’s such a tragedy!” he cried.

Shuichi sighed. “You force us to kill each other. I can’t exactly feel sorry for your kid.”

The bear took out his claws. “Hey! A little bit of respect here!”

The brunet was unimpressed.

“Fine! I shall grief on my own! Kids are so insensitive these days…”

The teen rolled his eyes and headed to the dining hall, as Monokuma shoo-ed him away.

However, when he reached his destination, no one else was here aside from Korekiyo, drinking his tea.

What surprised Shuichi a bit more was that breakfast seemed already prepared and disposed on the table, with fruit juice, toast, butter, jam and more. Kirumi usually waited until everyone was here to prepare something, and it was usually something cooked, like pancakes.

It looked more like a casual, nice breakfast rather than the refined service they were getting thanks to the maid.

Perhaps it was because her secret was out, and she decided to give up the facade.

“You’re awake as well, I see.” the taller man said.

Shuichi took a seat in front of him. “I couldn’t sleep much to be honest…”

Korekiyo nodded. “I understand. Yesterday was difficult for all of us. If you need to talk about it my services are still available.”

He waved his hand. “No thanks, I’m good, I think.”

“I cannot force you to talk, but please seek help to one of us if needed.” He replied. “Also, take whatever you want on the table, although the usual service will still be provided later if you want to.”

The violinist poured himself some apple juice. “Did Kirumi decide to stop doing the usual breakfast?”

The man shook his head. “It wasn’t Kirumi’s idea actually, to do a casual breakfast. In fact she didn’t prepare any of this.”

Shuichi raised an eyebrow. “Huh? Did you do it yourse-”

“Some cereal and milk if you guys want to! And also some fresh orange-carotte juice prepared by yours truly!”

It was… Miu? The boy blinked in confusion. She wasn’t the type to help much in the kitchen, from what he’s seen. But after all, Kirumi didn’t exactly want anyone helping her to do the cooking.

“Good morning!” she smiled at him.

Shuichi blinked. “Did you prepare this?”

She nodded. “Yup! I know everyone isn’t exactly in a good mood, but I thought I could at least try to do something. Casual breakfast is nice too, y’know?”

He smiled. The overall smell reminded him of those summers he spent with his uncle and cousin, eating breakfast, the sun rising outside. “That’s really nice of you, thanks!”

Miu stared at him with dumbfounded eyes for a moment before she shook her head. “… Don’t mention it. Anyway, I’m helping Kirumi with the pancakes, do you still want the usual?”

“No, I’m good, thank you!” he replied.

Miu left to get back to the kitchen with a weak smile.

Shuichi turned to Kiyo. “What happened? I thought she would be a bit less… Motivated, considering yesterday.”

Kiyo took a sip of his tea. “She asked me about what she could do to handle the situation better. I suggested her to do things that reminded her of her life before the game, not necessarily her job as an artist.”

He chuckled. “And that’s how she ended up preparing breakfast for everyone.”

Shuichi looked at the entire table with wide eyes.

She had prepared a _lot_.

Her adopted son must have been spoiled by Miu back then.

“Although she insisted on learning how to do Kirumi’s pancakes, so I’m guessing that’s what they’re preparing.” Kiyo added.

Shuichi couldn’t quite hear, but the girls were talking in the kitchen. He couldn’t help but think about Kirumi. They didn’t talk about her real talent too much during the trial, but perhaps it was for the best. However he didn’t know how things would be from now on. How would the others act around her? Will she get some sort of punishment anyway?

He shook his head. Miu had prepared everything so everyone would feel better. Now was not the time to ponder about this.

As time passed, the others slowly came in, one by one. Even though no one could forget what they had seen yesterday, thanks to Miu the morning was a bit better than how Shuichi expected it to happen.

However some people were missing, he noticed. There were supposed to be 12 of them now. They were… 10? He didn’t notice immediately who was missing. It was around 8:30 AM by now.

But it became clear when Himiko entered the dining hall, looking visibly worried.

She sat next to Shuichi, at the end of the table.

“Is everything alright?” he asked.

“Mmh… It’s just that Kokichi refuses to leave his room. He said he’s not feeling well but… I don’t know what to do.” she replied, looking at the orange juice glass she had in front of her.

“Perhaps it would be better to leave him alone for now. Even if you managed to encourage him yesterday, it wouldn’t be surprising if he still felt guilty about the whole incident.” Kiyo pondered.

Himiko nodded, but that didn’t seem to help.

About two minutes later, Shuichi noticed Miu leaving the dining hall with a plate of pancakes and some fruit juice.

…

Around ten minutes later, just as Miu passed the door, Monokuma appeared out of nowhere as usual.

“Now, now! Since I’m a busy bear I don’t need you guys overreacting each time I appear!” he said.

Rantaro didn’t even try to hide his exasperation. “And every single time you appear I ask for you to get to the point.”

The bear cleared his throat. (Does he even need to do so?) “Ahem! It’s almost halftime, so the stats should be out soon for everyone to obsess over… And of course since you guys overcame the class trial, I figured I’d give you all a wonderful prize!”

Kirumi didn’t bother looking at the bear. “And we know the deal by now. Give us the prizes and go away. No one needs you here.”

However Monokuma looked like he was waiting for something.

“I said, I figured I’d give you all a wonderful prize!”

Still nothing.

“… Huh? My adorable little cubs aren’t coming? That’s strange.”

Suddenly their catchphrase was heard and the three remaining monokubs appeared.

“Rise and shine, Ursine!” they all chanted.

Monokuma, as usual, kept talking about how “cute” they were.

“Hey, my cute little cubs… Could you hurry up and give them the prize…?”

“FATHER… WE-ARE-NOT-YOUR-SLAVES.” Monodam said. “WE-WILL-NOT-LET-YOU-USE-US-ANYMORE.”

“Huh??” the black bear was sweating(?)

“WE-ARE-ABLE-TO-CONTROL-THIS-ACADEMY. THEREFORE, FROM-NOW-ON… I-WILL-BE-CALLING-THE-SHOTS.”

To everyone’s surprise, the smaller bears started fighting with their so called father, and even brought the exisals to prove their point.

Monokuma panicked, and suddenly froze.

Himiko raised an eyebrow. “… Is he dead?”

Keebo poked the immobile bear. “I don’t know… He looks like he stopped working.”

“ANYWAY. AS-THE-NEW-HEADMASTERS, WE-HAVE-FOR-YOU-BASTARDS… A-WONDERFUL-PRIZE!” Monodam announced.

The three bears offered them a golden hammer, a magic key and a ninja scroll.

“We’ve also hidden a flashback light. I hope you all grow closer now that you’ve regained more of your memories.” Monophanie added.

The bears left after that.

“Sheesh, do they want us to get along or to kill each other?” Kaito asked to no one in particular.

“If they can help us overthrow Monokuma, they could make useful allies!~” Angie suggested.

“They could be useful, but I doubt Monokuma will let them continue their tantrum for long.” Rantaro pondered.

Ryoma approached the frozen Monokuma. “Start the searches without me. I would like to take a look at… Whatever Monokuma is.”

Keebo looked skeptic. “Are you sure this is safe?”

The smaller man looked at him. “Can you help me take it to the warehouse? Two people would be better to examine him.”

The two took one last look at the bear. “The rules say not to harm the headmaster of the academy, but if he’s just frozen I don’t think we’ll get in too much trouble.”

“Can we leave this to you two then?” Rantaro asked.

Keebo grabbed the bear with ease. Ryoma gave him a thumbs-up. “You can count on us, boss.”

Rantaro chuckled as the two left the dining hall. He took a look around. “We’re still missing Kokichi, right?”

Himiko had her head resting in her arms. “He said he isn’t feeling well and asked to be left alone…”

“Which makes 9 of us now. 3 for each item.” Shuichi added.

The remaining students once again separated in groups.

Shuichi went with Rantaro and Kirumi to investigate the magic key.

Kaito, Miu and Himiko left with the golden hammer.

Angie, Kiyo and Tsumugi went ahead with the ninja scroll.

While Shuichi’s and Angie’s group stayed in the main building for the research, Kaito’s group decided to check if something appeared outside, like last time.

It didn’t take long for Shuichi to find a use for the key, since it was the door blocking the next set of stairs.

The two groups made their way to the 4th floor. The atmosphere here was heavy, creepy even.

Tsumugi noticed two main rooms on the monopad. One without anything on it and the other had a hammer and a chisel as an icon. They concluded they were the two new labs waiting to be opened. One for Angie and the other was still unknown.

Angie immediately jumped into her lab. It had a very different aura from the hallway. It was illuminated, and it looked like nature somehow made it’s way here, with grass between the floorboards and ivy on the walls. There were even exotic potted plants. But more importantly, on the wooden shelves were disposed many carving tools. There were also clay bags on the floor, and huge logs and stones on the other part of the lab. With them, bigger tools, like hammers, saws and… An axe?

Angie approached it casually, grabbing it easily despite her short stature. “This lab is a blessing!”

When she saw Shuichi looking at her with worried eyes, she smiled. “Do not worry, Shuichi! It was very common for sculptors on my island to do the entire work by themselves! From collecting the materials to create the work of art!”

He exhaled a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “Did you really use these tools by yourself?”

She nodded happily. “Yup! Yup! Back on my island the more the artist was implied in the work, the more highly they were looked upon!”

She put back the axe to where it originally was. “I was one of the only artists to actually do the whole work by themselves. I was even recruited by Atua to contribute to the temple!”

“Atua…?” Shuichi asked.

“The leader, the governor of the island is Atua’s prophet! Being chosen to help him is like being chosen by Atua himself!” she replied. Although Shuichi could hear a hint of bitterness in her voice.

He checked to make sure no one was listening. “Is… Anything wrong? You don’t look fully pleased with this-”

“Atua is a joke.”

Shuichi’s eyes widened.

“I used to believe Atua’s prophet was actually passing his knowledge and wisdom, but he’s a lying, manipulative sack of shit I never want to see again. This island is behind me and that’s the reason I don’t want to leave this academy, ever.” she flatly said.

The boy had no idea how to respond.

“Woopsie daisy! Did I slip up? Sorry Shuichi, could you leave my lab for a minute? I wanna see if I can get some inspiration now that all of my material is here!” she turned back to him with a bright smile.

He preferred not to say anything. Perhaps he should tell Kiyo about this.

After leaving, Shuichi heard a click behind him. Angie had locked the door.

He passed by Tsumugi’s lab, which was open thanks to the ninja scroll, now placed in a small statue in front of the lab. Tsumugi and Kiyo were already looking around, so he decided to take a look at the three rooms on the map.

He saw Rantaro and Kirumi looking around.

“So? Anything new on your side?” Rantaro asked.

Shuichi preferred not to mention his conversation with the girl. “Angie’s lab is opened and she looks pleased with it. Although she asked not to be disturbed since she wanted some inspiration.”

“I see.” Kirumi said. “This room is empty. I don’t really know what exactly we could do with it.”

Rantaro approached the door. “They don’t have a lock on them. Just a handle.”

Shuichi looked around. “It looks like you could do some kind of occult seance here… Does Monokuma want us to summon a demon? I’m really not into that stuff.”

Rantaro blinked. “I would have gladly said something, but I genuinely have no clue what you’re talking about.”

Kirumi sighed. “And here I thought I could get some common sense out of you two. Demons don’t exist, neither do ghosts or any supernatural creatures.”

Rantaro sneered. “Well excuse me if I’ve never heard of ‘the occult’ before. I didn’t exactly got into high school, you know?”

Kirumi shrugged. “Same here. I got my job pretty early. But at least I have a little knowledge of what that is.”

They remained silent. They had avoided talking about her talent until now.

“That’s right… Your talent is ultimate mercenary…” Shuichi muttered.

“Now let me be clear about this.” She turned to the two, as intimidating as ever. “I have no reason to escape. There is food, water, there is no police, no one to pay me to kill other people… This is the most peaceful I’ve been in years, ironically.” she explained.

“I understand the feeling.” the medic said. “However gaining the trust of everyone else is going to be hard, I’m sure you know that.”

She let out a dry laugh. “Why do you think I’m telling _you_ this? You two are probably the most willing to listen to what I have to say. Tsumugi was really insistant on her theories to try and accuse Miu, Ryoma and Kiyo are not trusting me in the slightest and Keebo… Let’s just say I don’t really trust him.”

Shuichi raised an eyebrow. “Kiyo? He is willing to listen to anyone though…”

She crossed her arms. “’Willing to listen’ and ‘trusting’ are two very different things. That’s what differentiates strategists and friends.” she explained. “Although I shouldn’t be talking. My job requires me not to trust anyone.”

Rantaro nodded. “I see.”

He approached Kirumi. “Saying that I fully trust you would be lying, but I trust you for now like I trust the rest of us.” He extended his hand. “So for now let’s just call this stay at the academy a break from our respective jobs. Is that alright with you?”

The mercenary smiled. “It looks like we’re on the same page. I appreciate it.” She shook his hand.

Shuichi scratched the back of his neck. “I’ll do my best to stay neutral on the matter.”

“Thank you.”

The trio left the first room to check the others. They all looked the same, so they didn’t pay much attention to them.

As Rantaro suggested them to go to Tsumugi’s lab, Kirumi kept staring at the end of the corridor.

“Did you find something?” asked Shuichi.

The young woman approached the picture and carefully touched it. “This is a pane of glass, not a canvas.”

She gently knocked on it. “There’s something behind it. It’s not just a wall.”

Rantaro crossed his arms. “My guess would be that this is where the hammer is used. However Kaito’s group is outside.”

Kirumi sighed. “That means they didn’t find anything.”

Shuichi giggled. “At least they tried…”

The group went to Tsumugi’s lab.

They were surprised to see that the lab had several floors, each filled with countless bookshelves. The first floor however, had some desks and blackboards to the side. The room had a modern feeling, unlike Angie’s lab. However unlike the library or Kaede’s lab, it felt like Tsumugi could do searches on her own, like a real laboratory for theoreticians.

Tsumugi was on one of the higher floors, going through the books, and Kiyo joined the group by going down the first set of stairs.

“You three are back I see. What did you discover?” He asked.

“Not much. There are three empty rooms for… What did you call it Shuichi?” Rantaro turned to the blue eyed teen.

He chuckled. “Occult… But that was just a guess! I don’t know what whoever built this academy had in mind!”

Kiyo blinked in confusion. “You… Don’t know what the occult is?”

Rantaro hid his face in his hands. “No I don’t. Seriously! What’s with you people summoning creatures! I have enough to deal with when I work, I don’t need… Whatever you try to make magically appear!”

Shuichi laughed as Kirumi sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“Basically the occult is a bunch of scam artists profiting from people’s ignorance on basic concepts of physics to make money.” Tsumugi approached them, a huge book under her arm.

Kirumi had a sarcastic smile on her face. “I like this definition.”

Kiyo looked back at Shuichi. “Did you discover anything else?”

“Well… We found the use for the hammer… Except we don’t have the hammer. So we didn’t explore everything yet.” he replied.

Tsumugi hummed as she set her book on one of the desks. “We should get them back so we can finish searching the floor.”

“You called for us, so here we are!” a high pitched voice was heard from the entrance of the lab.

Himiko, Miu and Kaito entered the lab.

“When we were looking for clues we saw Monokuma outside and he pretty much guided us to the flashback light. Ryoma and Keebo joined us for some time but they thought that since we’re a lot here already, they said they were going to wait in the dining hall with the flashback light.” the latter explained.

“Oh.”

They decided to split up. Kirumi, Rantaro, Himiko and Shuichi would investigate the hammer while the others would be waiting in the dining hall.

They approached the glass pane. Kirumi, who had the hammer, broke the glass, opening a secret passageway.

The corridor had a different atmosphere, more like a deserted underground street. Himiko took a deep breath, already not liking the place. Rantaro and Kirumi didn’t seem to mind.

As they went through the dark hallway, only illuminated by a few weak light bulbs, they found the door. It was made of iron or steel, and it was really rusty.

Shuichi decided to check the monopad to see what exactly could this room be.

On the map was… A lotus flower and a hammer? It wasn’t like a tool, more like a judge’s hammer.

“So? Do you know what this is?” Kirumi asked.

Shuichi frowned. “I’m not sure…” he showed the tablet to the others.

Rantaro hummed. “I think I know… This is probably Kokichi’s lab.”

Himiko snatched Shuichi’s monopad. “Hmm… A lotus flower and a judge’s hammer? What does this have to do with Kokichi?”

Kirumi pondered. “I understand the judge’s hammer but I don’t know about the lotus. Either way, that’s the only possibility that fits.”

Shuichi put a finger on his chin. “Let’s see… We still have the labs of Himiko, Ryoma, Keebo, Kaito, and Kokichi to discover. So I think you’re right.”

Himiko gave the monopad back. “I don’t know if this is okay, but I really want to know what’s in there…”

Rantaro put a hand on the door. “Seeing what Kokichi thinks of his talent, perhaps we should take a look in case he refuses to go by himself.”

The four opened the door. The room looked like a vandalized casino on one side, and a ruined courtroom on the other. The casino part had luck-based games disposed on the tables, like roulette and some card games. There were also a few broken slot machines and games of darts. The courtroom part had a damaged podium in the back and a few chairs and benches on the sides.

The entire scene was unsettling, to say the least.

Kirumi was inspecting the luck games, regrouping the cards and try to make some order in that mess. Rantaro was going through the games in the shelves, dusty and dirty.

Himiko looked desolated in front of the courtroom part. She had her fists clenched, but didn’t say anything. Shuichi felt bad for her.

  
  


“Perhaps we should go back with the others… They’re waiting for us to activate the flashback light.” He suggested.

The others agreed and went back to the dining hall, Himiko desperately trying to calm down.

When they joined the others, everyone else was here, including Kokichi, surprisingly. However the four agreed not to say anything at the moment.

“So? Did you find anything?” Keebo asked.

Rantaro approached the flashback light. “It’s Kokichi’s lab from what we’ve seen. But we left almost immediately since you guys were waiting for us.”

Kokichi jumped at Rantaro’s declaration. “I see… I’ll check it out later.”

Kirumi crossed her arms. “So? Shall we use it?”

Rantaro looked at everyone to see if there were any objections. When none of them said anything, he turned on the flashback light.

They saw their own funeral. Their portraits… Them running from a certain group and them presumably dying in an accident…

After the memory flash, Shuichi struggled to keep his balance.

“Our own funeral…?” he muttered. He looked at the others, confused and worried as well.

“What the hell? I’m not dead!” Kaito yelled.

“We’re right here! What was that??” Himiko exclaimed.

“That doesn’t make any seeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Keebo tried to say something, but suddenly froze, repeating the same noise on loop like a broken record.

“Keebo?” Ryoma said, approaching the robot. “Keebo!”

Kirumi smacked the robot on the head. She shook her hand after doing so. That must have hurt.

“Ouch! What h-h-h-happened?” Keebo said, immediately realizing the problem.

“Are you okay?” Rantaro asked.

“I-I don’t know… My head feels dizzy…” he rubbed the back of his head where the woman had smacked him.

Ryoma winced. “I don’t have many tools available, but I’ll try to see what I can do.”

Tsumugi glanced at the small man. “I can try to help. My lab opened and there are some books about robotics here.”

Shuichi looked at the ground. “Perhaps it should be better from now on if Keebo didn’t use the flashback lights…”

Kiyo raised an eyebrow. “Hold on, did that also happen after the first?”

Keebo winced. “Yes, Shuichi found me zoning out for a while some time after we used the first flashback light…”

Ryoma lowered his cap. “For now try not to do too much unnecessary stuff. Tsumugi and I can try to help you get fixed but we can’t do miracles. Her specialty is not robotics and it isn’t mine either.”

Keebo nodded. “I understand.”

“Anyway, what happened for us to get out own funerals?” Miu asked.

Shuichi was troubled as well. “I don’t know, but we’re definitely not dead.”

Kokichi frowned. “… I don’t think that funeral is real. It must have been faked… Somehow.”

Tsumugi pondered. “That’s the most plausible theory. Either we faked our own funerals to be safe from whoever was organizing the ultimate hunt or whoever caught us organized the funeral so no one will try to find us anymore. But we’re definitely alive.”

“However this flashback light didn’t give us a lot of details.” Kiyo noted.

Since they didn’t have much to think about, Miu and Kirumi prepared lunch.

After that, everyone parted their ways.

Keebo, Ryoma and Tsumugi were in the warehouse to try to see what was wrong with the robot.

Himiko, Kokichi and Angie were in the latter’s lab.

Miu and Kiyo were most likely talking outside.

Kirumi and Rantaro were talking in the maid’s lab.

Kaito was walking in the main building alone, so Shuichi went to him.

“Wait for me, Kaito!”

The biker turned around. “Oh hey, Shuichi. Do you need me for something?”

Shuichi scratched his head. “Not really… Just thought we could hang out.”

Kaito smiled. “I get ya. But I need to go to Rantaro’s lab to get some painkillers. My… Head hurts.”

Shuichi blinked. “Are you okay?”

He chuckled. “Don’t worry about it, it’s nothing. Let’s just go.”

The two made their way to Rantaro’s lab. Shuichi noticed Kaito was slightly limping, but that would have been rude to make a comment about that.

“Are you sure he won’t mind?” the violinist asked.

Kaito started going through the drawers on the left. “I told him earlier. He just asked me to tell him whenever I took some.”

After a minute of research he found a box of paracetamol. Shuichi didn’t do much in the meantime. He watched Kaito swallow two tablets in silence.

The two left the lab, not really knowing what to do.

“You think there’s a card game around here?” Kaito asked. “I used to play a lot with the guys.”

“You mean gambling?” Shuichi asked.

“I mean sometimes we played poker but most of the time we played simple card games. No bets, just chilling. There aren’t a lot of games we could play only us two though.” he pondered.

The smaller boy tried to think as well. “I think I know where we could find a card game but I’m still hesitant to go there…”

“Want me to go with you?”

“I don’t think it will matter much if we just borrow it… Follow me.”

The two made their way to Kokichi’s lab. Kaito was a bit disturbed, but didn’t say anything. Shuichi went through one of the shelves, grabbed a set of cards and the two left. The lab would have been a good place to play if the ambiance wasn’t so creepy.

They went back to the dining hall to play. The cards were dusty, but none were missing.

Kaito taught Shuichi one of the more popular games. Although “taught” isn’t the right word, since the game was all about discovering the rules by yourself and not having someone telling them. According to Kaito, “That’s the main rule of the game. You can’t talk about the rules or else you get a penalty.”

“Queen of spades, God saves the queen.” Kaito said, putting the card in front of him.

Shuichi looked at his cards. He hesitantly put a seven of spades. “Seven of spades…?”

“Penalty. You didn’t say ‘Have a nice day’ and didn’t take a card.” he said giving two cards of the pile to Shuichi, a large grin on his face.

“That’s not fair! I have no idea what’s going on and you could be making up the rules for all I know!” he replied, taking his new cards.

Kaito laughed. “That’s what I love about this game. When you get to teach it to others, you spend 30 minutes giving cards to them because they don’t know the rules.”

Shuichi groaned in frustration. The game was fun nevertheless. 

They continued playing, Shuichi slowly understanding the rules.

“Hey…” Kaito said. “I was thinking about last trial…”

Shuichi lifted his head to look at him. “… What is it?”

The biker put down a card. “What do you think would have happened if Maki had successfully killed one of us and not Kaede?”

Shuichi paused. He didn’t know. He really didn’t. “I… Think it depends on who would be the victim. If Kirumi died… Then there was no way we could have won the trial… I think.”

Kaito hummed. “I still feel bad… They wanted to escape together, right?”

Shuichi thought about what Rantaro said after the trial.

_If someone kills they must accept what’s coming to them._

“Still… It was either them or the 12 of us. I… Think it’s a good thing we managed to get through this class trial.” he hesitantly replied, putting another card on the table.

“I mean yeah but… At what cost? We’re just killing more people as we go through these. Hell- Tenko and Maki didn’t even kill for selfish reasons. Tenko did it so we would all survive the time limit and Maki killed for Kaede. That’s fucked up.”

Shuichi looked down. “I don’t know. I really don’t know. I don’t know what’s right and what’s wrong. We have to go through these trials and we keep killing each other and I don’t know what to do I-”

“Shuichi!”

He looked up to see a worried Kaito starring at him. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have asked that.”

“No, it’s fine… I just don’t know what to do to help.”

The biker pondered. “I don’t think we can do much right now. Not gonna lie I kind of hope Kokichi’s karma thing affects Monokuma at some point. It’s not like any of us will mind if something happens to that stupid bear.”

The violinist chuckled. “That’s fair.”

Kaito was about to put down a card when he sighed. “Penalty to us two for talking when we weren’t allowed to.”

The two finished the game in silence. They returned the cards to the lab.

They came across Kokichi, Himiko and Angie, coming out of the craftswoman’s lab. Himiko was holding what looked like a replica of the moon and Kokichi had a wooden statue of a cat.

Angie had taught them the basics of carving and sculpting, and she had made them some sculptures they had requested.

The rest of the afternoon went pretty smoothly.

Miu and Kirumi prepared dinner for the rest of the group. Shuichi was really glad those two were here. Every single meal was fantastic thanks to them. Kirumi was already a certified cook, but ever since Miu started to help, things were more lively.

However, ever since Kirumi’s talent was out, Shuichi noticed some of them waited until Kirumi took the first bite before starting to eat. And unconsciously started doing so as well. It was mostly Angie, Tsumugi, Kokichi and Kaito doing so.

Shuichi felt bad. Just today she told him escaping was not her priority. Trust was not going to be easy to gain for her.

He just hoped those habits would come to an end.

After dinner, he decided to walk and get some fresh air. He noticed Himiko and Kokichi in the courtyard to look at the sky, as usual, and Angie was picking some wisterias.

He smiled at them and went to the main building. After approaching the stairs he heard some people talking from another room.

Shuichi hesitated at first, but decided to check anyway. The voices were from the monomono machine room.

He opened the door to see Ryoma and Rantaro here.

“Huh? Did you guys want some items from there?” he asked.

Ryoma was tapping his fingers on the counter. “I played at the casino the other day and got some coins. I didn’t know what to do with them so Rantaro suggested this.”

Rantaro took a coin from the pile and put it in the machine. “I’m not the type to gamble but this is pretty fun.” He turned the lever. “Sometimes we get doubles but that’s how it works.” he released the button to see what was he going to get.

It was a silver earring.

He took two coins this time and turned the lever. Some candy cigarette fell out. Ryoma took one out. “Some of these aren’t that bad.”

Rantaro put five coins in the machine. “Yeah but I want something other than food if possible.” he released the lever and crossed his fingers. A cleansing air freshener came out. He sighed. “At least it’s not food.”

Shuichi decided to leave since he was getting tired. He waved the two goodbye and went to his room.

Hopefully things would go for the best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lab locations  
> -  
> Angie: Same location.  
> Kokichi: Replaces the computer room.  
> Tsumugi: Replaces Korekiyo’s lab.


	14. Chapter 3: What is beyond humans' control - Daily life (part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New labs opened! Angie, Tsumugi and Kokichi now have access to their labs. But Monokuma won't leave them for long without a motive...

Day 10 since the beginning of the game.  
8:00 AM.

Shuichi woke up at the morning announcement. he slept better than expected, thankfully.

After taking a shower, he got dressed up to join the others in the dining hall.

Just as he left his room, he saw Angie leaving her room as well.

“Oh, hey Angie.” he yawned.

The girl span around so fast she almost tripped on her own feet. “G’morniiing!”

Shuichi chuckled. The two started making their way to the dining hall together.

“Apparently you helped Himiko and Kokichi making statues yesterday?” he decided to start a conversation.

She nodded. “Yeah! I taught them how to use chisels and hammers and woodpeckers and a lot of other tools!”

“I see,” he smiled. “That must have been fun then.”

She grinned. “Although they’re not the best at it, it was their first time!”

There was a short silence.

Shuichi didn’t know if asking her about her island was a good idea, but it was worth a shot. “Hey… I know this is probably a touchy subject for you and I won’t force you to talk but… How was it back there, sculpting?”

But when he looked at her, her eyes were empty. She had stopped in her tracks. “… I wish I could slaughter Atua with my own hands for all the shit he put all of us priestesses through. Just cutting him like Monokuma cut Maki with the scissors and watch his-”

The violinist couldn’t believe what she was saying. He wanted to put his hands on her shoulders, but refrained from doing so. “Angie! I-”

He paused. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have talked about this.”

She stared at him silently for a moment, then took a step back. “I told you, didn’t I? This is all behind me now! Now I can live with you all here in the academy!”

Shuichi didn’t know how to respond. He wanted to leave but seeing Angie like this made him feel sad. He had a family to go back to, but for those like Kirumi and Angie, this was a whole other story.

“Let’s… Just go to the dining hall. Miu and Kirumi probably already made breakfast.” he couldn’t look at Angie in the eyes. “But please consider talking to Kiyo about all of this. He can try to help you just please…”

He looked at her with pleading eyes. “Talk to someone about this.”

She looked at him with dumbfounded eyes, but then smiled. “Sure thing! But you don’t have to worry about this, Shuichi!~”

They finished their walk in silence.

When they reached the dining hall, Shuichi hoped to see breakfast ready and some of the others here to brighten up the mood.

Unfortunately, a way more confusing scene unfolded in front of his eyes.

Ryoma was in the corner of the room, curled into a ball, Rantaro desperately trying to talk to him.

“Ryoma please- Are you feeling okay??” he asked.

“S-Stay away from me! What did I even do to you?” the small man shakily replied. That was… Unusual.

Miu was a few meters away. She subtly approached the two.

“What’s going on with him?” Shuichi whispered to her.

“No one knows what’s going on. Ryoma looks afraid of everything and everyone, Tsumugi seems to have amnesia and we’ve been trying to understand the situation for twenty minutes. The two also have a huge fever from what Rantaro said.” she replied, as confused as him.

The others came in one by one, and explaining what was going on was impossible.

Rantaro was desperately trying to resonate with Ryoma, but it was useless.

Kirumi tried to talk to Tsumugi, but all she got from her was “Who are you?” and “Where are we?”

Once everyone got into the dining hall, the monokubs popped in.

“My goodness! That’s obviously bad!” Monophanie exclaimed.

The students turned to the bears.

“Teddy bears?” Tsumugi asked, confused.

“What did you do to them??” Miu yelled.

“Ahem! It looks like you want some explanations…” Monotaro said.

“Yeah no shit.” Kaito glared at him.

“MEET-YOUR-NEW-MOTIVE. THE-DESPAIR-DISEASE.” Monodam explained.

That didn’t seem to answer a lot of questions.

“We… May or may not have let some tiny insects inside the academy and it looks like they find you all appetizing!” The pink bear rubbed the back of her head.

Rantaro sighed. “Quit your bullshit. This is obviously your doing. No existing disease infects people that differently.” he glanced at Tsumugi, quietly sitting on a chair and Ryoma, curled up in a ball in the corner of the room.

“How dare you assume we’re lying! Bears never lie!” the red one raised his metal paws up in the air. “Anyway. It’s a really annoying disease where you get a high fever, along with various symptoms!”

Monodam pointed at the two sick students. “TSUMUGI-HAS-THE-AMNESIC-DISEASE. RYOMA-HAS-THE-COWARD-DISEASE.”

Kiyo put a finger on his chin. ”So basically the opposite of their normal personalities.”

“But be careful! Sometimes the despair disease can get passed from person to person just like a cold!” Monophanie put her paws on her cheeks.

Rantaro’s eyes widened. “And it had to be contagious of course.” He approached the bear. “And what’s the cure?”

“THIS-DISEASE-DOESN’T-NEED-A-CURE. IT-WILL-HELP-EVERYONE-GET-ALONG.”

“That’s right! It’s in the most difficult situations that you guys help each other. We thought that would help you all!”

Everyone fell silent. The absurdity of the statement was way too much.

The cubs, noticing the sudden tension in the room, chanted their catchphrase and left.

Shuichi glanced at Rantaro. He looked beyond mad. He took a deep breath and clapped his hands once.

“We’re gonna have to isolate them for now. Except we don’t have a comfortable separated facility for them.”

Shuichi pondered. “So we’ll have to keep them in their own rooms…”

“This is going to be a nightmare to take care of them. I have stuff in my lab but if I have to walk from my lab to the dormitories each time they need something I’m not going to keep up for long.”

Kirumi was leaning against the wall, her arms crossed. “I know this isn’t the best place, but what about the three rooms on the fourth floor? We’ll have to transport stuff here but at least it’s closer.”

“That’s probably the best we can do for now.” He lifted his head to look at everyone else. “I’ll stay here to keep an eye on them for now. Please try to make two of those rooms as comfortable as possible for them. There are three beds in my lab. I’m counting on you for this.”

“W-wait…”

Kokichi raised his hand. “I d-don’t really know… M-Maybe I’m wrong but… I feel like I have it t-too…”

Himiko jumped. “Huh? Really?”

He nodded. “I… I feel dizzy a-and my head is spinning… But I don’t feel any mental change s-so I’m not sure.”

Rantaro approached him and put the palm of his hand on the small boy’s forehead. “You’re feverish. We shouldn’t take any risks.

He pondered for a moment. “Does anyone else feel sick, aside from Kokichi, Tsumugi and Ryoma?”

No answer. “Good. You guys prepare the three rooms while I keep an eye on those three.”

Shuichi turned to him. “Hold on, you’re volunteering to take care of them until they get better? You think you can take the risk being infected?”

He turned to the violinist. “I’ve seen worse. I’m the ultimate medic, so don’t worry about me, alright?”

The two stared at each other. Shuichi nodded. “Thanks a lot, Rantaro.”

The rest of the students spent the rest of the morning transporting the beds from the medic’s lab to the rooms. They also took furniture and items from various rooms and labs to make the room a bit more comfortable and less creepy than before.

Lamps and books from Tsumugi’s lab, chairs from Kirumi’s lab, and some decoration and items from the other labs and the warehouse.

At least those rooms looked more like bedrooms than occult-ish rooms. Of course there wasn’t the usual comfort of the dorms, but it was better than nothing.

Shuichi let Rantaro guide the patients to their rooms. They were surprisingly cooperative.

Tsumugi, Ryoma and Kokichi… He really hoped those three would get better.

Shuichi went to Rantaro’s lab. It pained him a little to learn that he was going to do everything by himself from now on.

When he stepped in the room, he was wearing a mask and plastic gloves, carefully handling medicine, beaker and eyedropper in hand.

Once he saw the violinist entering the lab, he put down his tools to look at him. “Do you need something? It’s probably best if you don’t approach me too much, just in case.”

Shuichi winced. “I mean… We can’t let you do everything by yourself… Can we at least do something for you?”

“Shuichi’s right! I can’t just stay here and let you do all the work!” a feminine voice came from behind.

Miu had just appeared in the lab. But while Shuichi was calmly asking how he could help, the girl was clearly determined to do so.

“I… Want to help the others in this. I want to apologize for everything I did after the motive videos… Even though it’s just a little, I want to be useful.” She bowed to Rantaro.

Unfortunately his expression was almost unreadable because of his mask, but Shuichi could clearly see the surprise in his eyes.

Rantaro stood up. “Like I said it’s better if only one of us takes care of the patients, and I’m the most qualified for this. But…”

He paused.

“If it’s not too much to ask, could you please make individual meals for the ill ones and me? And perhaps bring me a sleeping bag since I’ll probably stay here for a while.”

Shuichi put a finger on his chin. “And you’ll probably need some clean clothes too…”

Miu quickly stood up, pointing two fingers to her temple. “Leave it to me!”

Rantaro smiled behind his mask. “However could you bring me dish soap with it? It would be bad to give you back contaminated empty dishes.”

Miu smiled. “Got it!” she turned her back to him, and added: “Make sure to take care of yourself, alright sweetie?”

The medic chuckled. “Alright, alright. Take care of yourself as well, okay?”

The street artist smiled and left. There was a visible blush on her face.

He turned back to Rantaro and giggled. “She really seems into you, calling you ‘sweetie’ like this…”

He shrugged. “I’m not really used to affection like that, but it feels nice. Although I don’t see her ‘that’ way.”

Oh.

“I’ll go for now. Just like she said, don’t overwork yourself, okay?” Shuichi said.

Rantaro gave him a thumbs up. “Don’t worry about me. We should be alright for now.”

-

The group spent lunch together, but there were four less people than what was supposed to be. Obviously Himiko looked worried for Kokichi, but Angie was keeping her company, so it was fine.

Afternoon came and with four less people around, the academy felt empty. But at least they were in good hands.

Himiko and Angie were once again sculpting items in the latter’s lab.

Kaito and Keebo were in the warehouse. The biker had tried to replace Tsumugi and Ryoma for his maintenance.

Miu and Kirumi were cooking in the kitchen some meals and snacks for the infected ones and Rantaro.

Kiyo was outside, not doing anything in particular, so Shuichi approached him.

“Oh, hello Shuichi. Do you need anything?” he asked.

He shook his head. “Not really. Just thought we could hang out.”

The two sat under the wisterias of the courtyard. They had a relaxing feeling, and Shuichi often saw Kiyo talking to people under here.

The violinist picked a flower and started fiddling with it. “What do you think about all of this? I’ve never heard what you thought about this situation.”

Kiyo looked at him. “About what exactly?”

“I would guess the disease… Rantaro said he didn’t believe the bears and said they were lying about the origin of the disease.”

The therapist pondered for a moment, staring at the void.

“… I don’t really know. To be honest I’m contemplating the possibility of the mastermind being one of the ill ones.”

Shuichi’s eyes widened. “Huh? You think the mastermind is either Ryoma, Tsumugi or Kokichi?”

“I didn’t say that I was sure, just that we should not exclude the possibility.”

The violinist frowned. “I’m not sure what you mean…”

“Let’s say the mastermind is the one who gave the ‘disease’ to us. We would obviously think they wouldn’t give the disease to themselves. So they could have just given themselves a fever and act like have the disease.”

Shuichi put his elbows on his knees, head resting on his hands. “But can we even be sure there is a mastermind among us? Maki’s execution still went on even though Monokuma was destroyed, and he came back right after…”

“I don’t really know about this part. We thought that the mastermind would go to the hidden room to summon another Monokuma, but Maki’s execution proved us that it wasn’t the case.”

Shuichi tried to think. “Maybe… They had a remote on them?”

Kiyo narrowed his eye. “That’s a possibility. But… Monokuma wants us to feel despair, right?”

Shuichi raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“Because Monokuma reappeared the next day the first time he was crushed, we assumed someone had to go in the hidden room to manually create another one, and they needed to wait until everyone was asleep to act.”

He nodded.

“But if Monokuma’s objective is to destroy our hopes, the mastermind probably let us hope he was definitely destroyed, then created another one to intensify the psychological effect. They could have been able to do it since the very beginning. However, since Maki’s execution was an emergency, they didn’t have time to think and immediately created another one.”

Shuichi lowered his head. “That’s messed up… But that doesn’t explain how they do so…”

“I’m not sure. The remote seems like a plausible theory. We were all in a panic when the courtroom was falling appart, so they could have done something without us realizing.”

That… Made sense.

“But if they can create another Monokuma whenever they want, doesn’t that mean there is a possibility they’re not among us and simply hiding in the hidden room?”

Kiyo hummed. “It’s possible, however since there is still a chance they’re in this group, I wouldn’t talk too quickly.”

Shuichi nodded.

“But to come back to what you said about the despair disease, what would the mastermind gain by giving themselves the disease?” he asked.

“To make us think they’re not one of them, at the risk of not being able to do anything since Rantaro keeps an eye on them at all times. But that would be quite the gamble.” Kiyo explained.

That was quite unlikely, Shuichi thought, but not impossible.

“And Rantaro… I can’t say for certain. He has a great influence on the others but I know a genuine speech when I see one. That’s what last trial proved me.” he added.

Shuichi remembered Kirumi’s words the day before.

_‘Willing to listen’ and ‘trusting’ are two very different things. That’s what differentiates strategists and friends._

Rantaro… He _was_ a strategist. He gave the key to his lab to Ryoma in case someone tried to get it from him. He knew another killing would happen and did his best to keep the group calm and rational. Even going as far as to expose the truth about the lack of benefits he would get by escaping. He also volunteered to take care of the ill students all by himself. It was clear he wanted to have a good influence on the group. To be in control of the situation, in a good way.

But him being the mastermind wasn’t something Shuichi wanted to think about.

A part of him also hoped Kiyo wasn’t the mastermind and said all those theories on purpose to confuse him.

The discussion felt tiring.

The two decided to drop the subject for now to talk about their respective lives.

-

Evening came. The rest of the group joined in the dining hall but Shuichi still felt like someone was missing.

There were 12 students alive in the academy. 3 of them were resting because of the illness and one was taking care of them. Yet only half of the remaining students were in the dining hall.

After a quick glance, Shuichi noticed both Miu and Himiko were absent.

Right after thinking that, the street artist entered the dining hall, alone.

“Where’s Himiko?” he asked as she sat in front of Kaito.

“She’s in front of Kokichi’s room and they talk through the door. She’s been at it for an hour now and I don’t think she’ll leave soon.” Miu explained.

Kaito raised an eyebrow as he was eating. “Rantaro doesn’t mind?”

She shook her head. “He said as long as Himiko doesn’t enter the room it’s fine. Also that she must be out of the way during his checks.”

She took a sip of water from her glass. “So right now they’re eating dinner separated by a door.”

Shuichi nodded. Rantaro probably knows more about him about what they should do.

After finishing dinner, since there wasn’t much to do, everyone parted their ways. However there was one last thing Shuichi needed to do.

He quickly looked at his monopad to see where the therapist was. He was outside, on a bench near the wisterias, as usual.

It didn’t take long for Shuichi to reach him.

“Hey, Kiyo?”

He turned to him. He seemed to have been lost in his own thoughts. “Do you need anything?”

He winced. This was a touchy subject, but he had to.

“I think you should try to talk to Angie… I’m a bit concerned about her.”

He explained the whole situation. What she told him in her lab and their discussion this morning.

Kiyo hummed.

“I see. If as you say she resents her home more than this entire killing game, then there is a high possibility she went through severe trauma.”

He stood up. “Thank you for telling me. I’ll talk to her tomorrow, since it is getting late.”

The two went back to the dormitories, hoping Rantaro would be fine by himself.

The disease didn’t need to make any more victims and suffering.

They could only hope for the best.


	15. Chapter 3: What is beyond humans’ control - Daily life (part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The despair disease split the remaining students in two groups, but how long will they have to endure this?

Day 11 since the beginning of the game. 8:00 AM.

The morning announcement played, waking up Shuichi.

The motive the monokubs gave them was still on his mind. Even though the disease was very unpractical, why would anyone kill because of it?

He shook his head. Perhaps he could try to visit Rantaro after breakfast.

After getting dressed up, he left his room to go to the dining hall.

Almost everyone was already here, not counting the ‘hospital team’.

“Hey there! Did you sleep well?” Miu asked him.

Shuichi hummed, still a bit tired. “How are the others?”

“I gave the hospital team breakfast and they looked fine according to Rantaro.” she replied.

“And what about him?”

She sighed. “He says he’s fine but he looks really tired. I told him to get some sleep but he says he ‘already took a nap’.”

She clearly didn’t believe him. He probably lied so he wouldn’t be scolded by an overprotective Miu.

Who knows how much longer this is going to last. They could only hope the Monokubs would give them a break.

They finished breakfast in silence.

Shuichi decided to pay a visit to Rantaro.

After going to the fourth floor, he realized he didn’t hear a thing. He approached the corridor with the three rooms and noticed him sleeping on a chair. Or so he thought, because the medic immediately opened his eyes and turned to him.

“Hey there. Did you sleep well?” Rantaro asked.

Shuichi blinked. “Yes, what about you? You did have to take care of the others, did you even sleep?”

He chuckled. “Yes, yes I did. Well sort of. I’m pretty much trained to keep myself in a half-sleeping state. Of course it doesn’t help me rest as much as normal sleeping but at least I can keep an eye on those three in case something goes wrong.”

Shuichi was still a bit worried. “Are you planning on sleeping on a chair until the disease disappears?”

He shrugged. “I don’t think I’ll keep up alone for more than week at most. But I don’t think Monokuma will let us do nothing for an entire week. So either he’ll try to put a stop on the illness or...”

He trailed off, then sighed. “Please keep an eye on the others for me, okay?”

Shuichi nodded. “Count on us.”

By the sound of his voice, Rantaro really felt powerless over the situation. Of course he volunteered to take care of the patients, but he sounded almost sure that something was going to happen to the rest of the group.

Shuichi wanted to say everything was going to be okay, but seeing how he was right the last time he said something similar, he could only prepare for the worst.

He left the fourth floor, a part of him still hoping things would go their way.

Just as he entered the dining hall, he noticed Himiko talking to Miu, the former looking visibly worried.

“Listen, I know you’re worried about him and it’s really nice of you to go check on him, but Rantaro told me there’s still a _risk_ if you stay in the corridor 10 hours of the day.” Miu said, arms crossed, a disappointed look on her face.

The petite girl slammed her palms on the table. “But I can’t leave him like this! He isn’t taking any of this well and I’m the only one he listens to!”

Shuichi felt like he came at the wrong moment.

Miu turned to him. Her gaze screamed “Help me. Please.”

He approached the two. “What... Happened?”

“Himiko stays way too much time in front of Kokichi’s door and Rantaro is worried there might be risks she gets the disease.”

“You guys don’t understand anything! You haven’t... You... He...” Himiko trailed off. “... He constantly panics about what the disease does to him... To them and to us... I try to tell him that everything’s okay but he says he can’t help it...”

Shuichi hummed, trying to think of a solution.

“Whenever Kaz felt sad or was made fun of at school, I cooked him a batch of cupcakes. It never failed to cheer him up.” Miu muttered, voice low. However she had a weak, nostalgic smile on her face.

“Cupcakes?” Himiko raised an eyebrow.

“Good idea! You two could make some, right?” Shuichi smiled.

The street artist crossed her arms confidently. “Walls aren’t my only canvas you know?”

“You know how to make cupcakes??” the astronomer asked her with wide eyes.

Miu laughed. “You underestimate me, twinkle! I’m more than capable of baking cakes!”

Himiko suddenly jumped to get to only a few centimetres from her face. “Then teach me!!”

Miu instinctively backed off. “Sheesh, twinkle! You’re determined aren’t you?”

Himiko’s gaze was intense, even though she wasn’t exactly intimidating.

Miu blinked a few times, then raised her hands like she was surrendering. “Alright, alright. You got me.”

She stood up and scratched Himiko’s head. “It’s decided! You’re coming with me and we’ll do the best cupcakes spooky boy has ever tasted!”

“Spooky boy?!?”

“What, you got a better nickname?”

“I just call him Kichi!”

“That’s a ‘you’ problem, I’m sticking to spooky boy!”

The two cheerfully bickered, Miu dragging Himiko to the kitchen. Shucihi smiled. It looked like the problem was solved.

Shuichi wasn’t really in the mood to do much this morning. He more or less knew what the others were doing.

Angie was finally talking to Kiyo in the courtyard.

Kaito and Keebo were once again in the warehouse for an attempted maintenance.

Kirumi was in her lab, probably making sure everything was still in place.

And finally, Miu and Himiko were baking their cupcakes.

He decided to go to his own lab to play some violin.

Stepping in the room was enough to make him feel guilty.

After all, his last audience consisted of both Kaede and Maki, who were now together in the afterlife.

He looked at the spot the two were sleeping at only a few days ago. Maki was resting on Kaede’s shoulder, their hands intertwined. They felt peaceful back then.

And then Maki, out of desperation accidentally killed Kaede when her goal was to make the two of them escape.

As much as he told himself this wasn’t his fault, the guilt wouldn’t go away. They had sent Maki to her death. A brutal death, that is.

He shook his head and grabbed the violin to try and make those thoughts go away.

Several music sheets were scattered across the floor. Was he always that messy?

He took one that was isolated from the rest and read the title.

“Autumn by Vivaldi... Why not?”

He placed the sheet on the desk, made sure the door was closed and started playing.

Playing violin was very relaxing, and Shuichi understood why Kaede was writing so much in her notebook when she was stressed.

When he finished the song he exhaled a deep breath and opened his eyes. He just needed the first few notes to remember the whole song, so not looking at the sheet wasn’t much of a problem.

He suddenly turned to the bench in front of him.

Kirumi was sitting here, silent. She clapped her hands once his eyes landed on hers.

“H-How long have you been watching?” Shuichi asked nervously.

“Not so long, do not worry. I was headed to the fourth floor to ask Rantaro if he had any preferences for lunch and I heard you playing so I thought I could pay a visit.” she replied, standing up. “You have a wonderful talent Shuichi. This really was pleasing to the ears.”

Shuichi blushed a little and scratched the back of his neck. “T-Thank you.”

“No need to thank me. I shall head to the fourth floor, but I look forward the next time you play a song.”

The violinist chuckled. “I don’t have much to do, so I’ll probably stay here for a while.”

“Well, Miu and Himiko are using the kitchen if I’m correct, so I might as well stay here when I’m done checking on the hospital team. If it doesn’t bother you of course.” she fiddled with a lock of hair.

“No, not at all! It’s just that I’m a bit surprised you like my music.” he shook his head.

Kirumi briefly smiled. “You are not the ultimate violinist for nothing, Shuichi.”

She left the lab to check on the others, as she said.

A few minutes later she came back, as Shuichi was going through different music sheets.

“You know, I had heard your name several times during my missions.” she explained.

“Huh? Really?”

She nodded. “Of course you never were the target some were paying me to kill. But I heard several times your name from high-ranking clients and targets.”

She let out a dry laugh. “Some of them joked about how I shouldn’t kill a violin legend like you even for an extremely high amount of money. Hypocrites.”

This sent a shiver down his spine. Even if Kirumi claimed no one wanted his death, the fact that the ultimate mercenary had the same clients as him was disturbing, to say the least.

“I see... Wait ‘hypocrites’?” he asked her.

“Those people are literally asking me not to kill someone for money and then pay me hundreds of thousands of yens to see their target dead.” Kirumi continued.

Shuichi had some trouble understanding her intentions.

“Um... If it’s not too personal... Why did you start this job?” he asked.

Kirumi’s expression didn’t change, but it was clear she wasn’t going to answer. “Unfortunately I can’t give you the full details for your safety. All I can tell you is that I wasn’t born in the best place in order to live a normal life.”

Shuichi nodded.

The two continued to switch between violin music and discussions about various topics, but avoiding talking about Kirumi’s life.

He didn’t want to know what would happen if he knew more about her, he just knew the consequences would not be pleasant for him.

-

Around noon, the others reunited to the dining hall to eat.

Miu and Himiko had finished the cupcakes, and from what Himiko said, Kokichi was confused at first because he didn’t know what a cupcake was, but was very grateful for the gesture.

Angie finally talked about her issues to Kiyo. However the therapist decided to keep those informations for himself, but assured Shuichi that things were going okay.

Keebo was still glitching from time to time, but Kaito managed to help him maintaining himself for the time being.

Afternoon came and as usual, the others went their own ways.

Angie decided to spend the afternoon locked in her lab doing sculpture.

Kiyo and Kaito were talking in the courtyard.

Keebo and Kirumi were in the latter’s lab to relax.

Himiko was again in front of Kokichi’s door.

Miu was walking around the casino, so Shuichi joined her.

“What’s up? You here to play?”

Shuichi shrugged. “I don’t really know, I mean some items from the machines are nice but I’m not looking for anything in particular...”

She scratched the top of his head and gave him a tap on the back. “Don’t sweat it! The more the merrier!”

The two joined the casino and played various games for a while.

After collecting a great amount of medals, they headed to the premium exchange counter. There were various weird items here, so they bought a bunch of not-that-necessary items for themselves or to offer.

Shuichi didn’t miss Miu getting a love key, even though she tried to hide it.

Even though the bar was devoid of people, they sat there to compare what they bought.

Miu examined the plant Shuichi had bought. “I wish I had time to take care of these... I already got a son and an artist career to maintain.”

He smiled. “Say, you look happier these days. I’m glad you manage your issues correctly.”

Her eyes widened for a second. “I’m... Just glad I managed to get back to my old mom habits.”

“You mean how you always prepare breakfast for the others and make sure the hospital team stays healthy?”

She blushed at the indirect mention of the Rantaro. “I-It’s nothing I- It’s just- It’s-” she stuttered, then groaned, putting her head in her crossed arms on the counter. “I can’t help it, I have to take care of someone or else I’m nervous.”

Shuichi gently tapped on her shoulder in comfort. “It’s alright, it’s not hurting anyone anyway.”

She put her head in her palms, elbows on the counter. “Yeah but doesn’t it feel weird for you guys that I’m starting to treat you like my own kids??”

The boy shrugged. “As long as you’re not the overly protective mom then I don’t mind. You said it helps you relax so I don’t see why you shouldn't do it.”

Miu weakly smiled and scratched his head. “... Thanks, Shuichi.”

“No problem.”

The two left the casino to join the others, since it was already starting to get dark. How long had they stayed here?

They quickly put the items they got in their dorms and returned to the main building.

When they arrived, everyone was either chatting in the dining hall, except Kirumi, who was preparing dinner.

Miu joined her to give her a hand, but was ordered to give the meals to the hospital team. She called Shuichi and the two brought the plates to the fourth floor.

Rantaro walked out of Ryoma’s room.

“Hello there.” he said.

“We got the meals!” Miu cheerfully announced.

He gave them a thumbs up. “Can you put mine in my lab like yesterday please?”

“I’ll do it. Thanks a lot for your service, Rantaro.” Shuichi said.

He left a plate to Miu and brought the other one to the medic’s lab.

When the girl came back to the dining hall, she explained to Shuichi that Rantaro usually waited until the others ate before doing so. Mostly to make sure they were actually eating.

The group had dinner peacefully and everyone parted their ways to the dorms, or stayed outside for a bit.

Shuichi returned to his room. he would usually talk to Rantaro, but since he was busy taking care of the others, he simply went to his room, having nothing to do.

He took a look back at the items he got. He placed the plant on the small table, read a bit of the travel journal and tried to understand how the strange card game he got worked.

He went to sleep, still worrying about the hospital team, but there wasn’t much he could do.

-

Day 12 since the beginning of the game. 7:20 AM.

Since Shuichi went to sleep early, he woke up earlier than expected.

After taking a quick shower and dressing up, he headed to the dining hall. Keebo was the only one there.

“Oh, good morning, Shuichi.” he said.

“Good morning... I suppose Kirumi and Miu are preparing breakfast?” he asked, taking a seat.

The robot nodded.

Just as Kirumi entered the dining hall, a plate of toast and a carafe of orange juice in hand, Monodam entered the room as well.

“...”

The three looked at the silent robotic bear. He was usually with his siblings, chanting their annoying catchphrase.

“Why are you here?” Kirumi coldly asked.

“YOU-GUYS-DID-NOT-GET-ALONG.”

Keebo frowned. “What are you saying?”

“ONE-OF-YOU-MADE-A-MESS-IN-THE-SHRINE-OF-JUDGEMENT. THIS-IS-NOT-GETTING-ALONG.”

The three looked at each other, worry growing inside them.

The bear left them without answering any questions.

Shuichi took a deep breath. “We should... Try to see what happened.”

Kirumi frowned. “I have a very bad feeling about this.”

He was almost certain something bad happened. Something really bad.

It looked like the other two thought the same, so they hurried to the shrine of judgement.

They opened the door.

A horrifying sight appeared before them.

On the ground, was scattered several blood stained sharp objects and hammers.

And in the middle of it, drowning in a pool of blood was the mangled, almost unrecognizable corpse...

... _Of Himiko Yumeno, the ultimate astronomer._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... Oh, how long have I waited for this.


	16. Chapter 3: What is beyond humans’ control - Deadly life (part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Himiko was found dead in the shrine of judgement! But why? The investigation begins.

...

_**“Ding dong, dong ding!”** _

_**“A-BODY-HAS-BEEN-DISCOVERED.”** _

_**“EVERYONE, PLEASE-GATHER-AT-THE-SHRINE-OF-JUDGEMENT.”** _

...

No.

No. No. No.

Nonononononononono-

Shuichi couldn’t even hear the rest of the announcement over the white noise in his head.

The faint smell of blood, the horrifying vision before him... He felt nauseous, bile starting to climb up his throat.

He ran out and puked behind one of the rocks in front of the shrine.

Witnessing the executions was already a lot, but this...

Himiko’s body was filled with various cuts and some of her articulations were bent in ways that shouldn’t even be possible. And if the axe planted in her torso wasn’t enough, a pattern resembling angel wings was made around her with her own blood.

Someone in their own group hadn’t just kill her, they had completely distorted her body to make a grotesque work of ‘art’.

But why?

What did Himiko even do to deserve this? She was kind to everyone, especially Kokichi. Why would anyone even want to _harm_ her?

This was unfair.

He snapped back to reality when he heard footsteps in the distance.

Kokichi was running incredibly fast towards the door, rushing in without Shuichi even being able to try and stop him. He was clearly panicking, like he already had an idea about what happened.

Miu and Rantaro were trying to keep up, and went to Shuichi’s side.

“What happened?? Who died???” Miu asked, panicked.

Rantaro helped him getting up, taking a tissue out of his pocket and giving it to him. “Take slow, deep breaths.”

Shuichi cleaned his mouth, trying to calm down, but still shaking. “I-It’s... Himiko sh-she...”

He trailed off, not even able to describe what was in there.

Miu’s eyes widened. She rushed into the shrine.

“You think you can handle it?” Rantaro calmly asked.

Shuichi nodded, still feeling uneasy. But he had to.

The two entered the shrine.

Kokichi wasn’t moving at all. His eyes were fixated on Himiko’s mangled corpse. it was like a thousand questions ran through his head, just like Shuichi a few minutes ago.

Kirumi and Keebo were on the side. Even the ultimate mercenary was horrified by the scene. Her eyes were examining every little detail of the body.

The scissors.

The knives.

The hammers.

The wooden stakes.

The darts.

The chisels.

The scalpels.

_The axe._

It was like the killer went out of their way to take every single item that could be used as a weapon that existed in the academy and used it on her.

Kokichi hesitantly took a step forward.

“Himi...ko...?”

He went to her side, kneeling beside her, approaching his gloved hand to her bloodstained cheek.

"... Why...?”

The others slowly came rushing in as well, discovering the harsh truth.

“Who- Why...?” Kaito muttered.

“Even if someone really did kill... What was the point of creating this entire scene?” Tsumugi asked.

“Clearly none of us would kill that horribly right? Only Monokuma creates such gruesome deaths!” Angie extended her arms, as if it would strengthen her argument.

“Rise and shine, ursine!” The three bears appeared before them.

Monophanie puked, as usual, when she saw the dead body.

“Monodam! You said everyone would get along together!” Monotaro exclaimed.

“DON’T-WORRY... OVERCOMING-THIS-WILL-BRING-EVERYONE-CLOSER-TOGETHER.” the green bear replied.

“Well it obviously doesn’t!!”

To everyone’s surprise, it was Rantaro.

He approached the bear without hesitation and aggressively grabbed it.

“What are you-” Ryoma tried to resonate with him, but it was useless.

“I’m sick of your so called ‘get along’. You’re saying murdering each other will bring us closer.” His glare was intense. If his speech during the second trial was intimidating, this was nothing compared to now.

He dragged the bear next to Himiko’s body, immobilizing him to make sure he stared at her.

“This. Is what you call ‘getting along’. I know more than anyone else that dangerous situations bring people together. But this? This is madness. And nothing comes out of it other than even more madness.”

“... VIOLENCE-AGAINST-THE-HEADMASTERS-IS-PROHIBITED. CEASE-THIS-ATTITUDE-IMMEDIATELY.”

There was a moment of silence, of wondering what the medic would even do.

“... Fine.” he said, dropping Monodam. “But remember that I will do my best to take you down, no matter the cost.”

“...”

The bear stayed silent.

“... Anyway, here’s the Monokuma file for this case!” Monophanie exclaimed.

The three cubs left shortly after, backing off before the glares of the others.

Rantaro turned to the rest of them, a deadpan expression on his face. “I will stay here to do the autopsy. The rest of you go investigate, although I would like two people to stay here with me, if it’s not too much to ask.”

“Count on me, boss.” Ryoma raised a hand. “I’m not that disturbed by corpses, so I would rather stay here than let more easily disturbed people do the job.”

“I will stay here as well.” Kiyo volunteered.

“Good.” Rantaro kneeled before the body. “Try to locate where all the weapons come from. It looks like they came from different places.”

Shuichi nodded. It wasn’t like he was going to be of great help for Rantaro here.

Everyone aside from Rantaro, Kiyo and Ryoma left.

Just as he stepped outside the shrine, Shuichi took out his monopad to check the file.

_Monokuma file #3_

  * The victim is Himiko Yumeno, the ultimate astronomer.
  * The body was discovered in the shrine of judgement.
  * The estimated time of death is 2:00 AM.
  * The victim died of blood loss.
  * Multiple cuts were noted on the victim’s body.
  * The victim also suffered from bone fracturation of the skull, the ribs, the wrists and the ankles.
  * The victim also suffered from broken joints on the ankle and the fingers.



**Obtained truth bullet! Monokuma file #3**

“Multiple injuries my ass. There wasn’t a single spot on her that was clean!” Kaito exclaimed.

Shuichi glanced at Kokichi. His eyes were empty, looking at the ground.

“... I’ll investigate on my side.” he left the others without saying another word.

Miu stepped forward to try to stop him, but Kirumi put a hand on her shoulder. “Perhaps he needs some time alone right now.”

“Aren’t you the one who followed Maki right after Kaede’s death?” Tsumugi raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, and that’s exactly why I’m suggesting we don’t.” she replied.

Shuichi himself had trouble accepting the reality. Someone among them went out of their way to completely _destroy_ Himiko, leaving her no chance to survive, not even letting her keep a certain dignity after death.

It was understandable that Kokichi was in shock.

Keebo went back to the subject at hand. “The weapons looked like they were from different labs, so we’ll have to split up to see what’s missing.”

Right after declaring this, Kiyo slightly opened the door. “May I have your attention, please?”

The all turned to him. “We discovered a large amount of destroyed small bottles, near the flowerpots. Try to investigate labs containing poison as well.”

 **Obtained truth bullet!** **Destroyed bottles**

They all walked towards the main building.

Tsumugi stopped in her tracks. “May I ask... Why were Ryoma and I sleeping in the rooms on the fourth floor?”

Kaito turned to her, confused. “Wait, you don’t know?? More importantly, Tsumugi, you feeling okay? Didn’t you have the disease?”

That was actually a good point. He was so caught up by Himiko’s death that he forgot about Ryoma and Tsumugi acting like their usual selves.

“The disease...?” she blinked.

Shuichi tried to explain the situation. “The motive was a ‘despair disease’ that made Ryoma and you act the opposite from your usual selves. And since it was contagious you two and Kokichi were placed in the three rooms on the fourth floor.”

"Don’t you remember anything?” Angie asked, a finger on her cheek.

She shook her head. “No, I really don’t. I went to sleep in my room... I’m guessing days ago and next thing I knew, I woke up in one of the rooms on the fourth floor from the body discovery announcement.”

 **Obtained truth bullet! Despair disease symptoms**

“Say, how exactly did I act?” she asked.

“You were basically amnesiac. You asked us who we were, where we were, that was really weird.” Miu explained.

The prodigy sighed. “It could have been worse, I suppose.”

That was weird, but this really reinforced Rantaro’s theory that the cubs were lying about the origin of the disease. But what even was used to create such symptoms?

Perhaps right now was not the time to think about that.

...

As they kept walking, Shuichi noticed Miu looked troubled.

“Is something wrong? Aside from... What just happened...?” he asked.

“... You can agree with me that Rantaro was sleeping on a chair on the fourth floor yesterday morning, right?”

He hummed. “I mean, he did explain to me that he did so in case something happened to the ill ones...”

“I found him sleeping in his lab this morning.”

Shuichi frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said! I went to give him and the others breakfast on the fourth floor and he wasn’t there, so I checked his lab and he was sleeping on another chair. Right after I saw him, the body discovery announcement played, so I was afraid he was the one to... You know...” she trailed off.

 **Obtained truth bullet!** **Miu’s account**

“That’s... Strange...” Shuichi muttered.

When they reached the building, they split up to cover more ground, most of them going to the different labs by two.

Shuichi and Kaito went to Maki’s lab.

It was a mess, to say the least.

Thread reels, fabric scattered everywhere... It was like someone went on a rampage.

“Sheesh, what a mess... Maki didn’t leave her lab like this, right?” Kaito asked.

“She said she was a little messy, but the killer was definitely looking for something in here.”

“Well duh...”

After proper inspection, they realized all the scissors were gone, whether they were Japanese or western scissors.

 **Obtained truth bullet! Maki’s lab**

Shuichi looked over a roll of fabric on the ground. The cut was very clean, but it definitely looked like someone touched it at some point.

**Obtained truth bullet! Cut fabric**

The two left the lab.

They went to the fourth floor. Perhaps there were important things there.

They checked the rooms to see if something was different. However they all looked pretty normal.

When getting to Angie’s lab, both Tsumugi and Angie were there.

“Did you find something?” Shuichi asked.

Tsumugi pointed at the shelves. “A great majority of the tools are missing. Only the brushes are still there. However everything from the small tools to the bigger tools are missing.”

Angie pointed at the spot where the bigger tools were. “Even the saws and the axe! But that wouldn’t be the best choice of weapon, would it?” she tilted her head to the side.

**Obtained truth bullet! Angie’s lab**

The two left to check on the third floor. Perhaps Rantaro’s lab had clues.

When they entered, Rantaro himself was going through the shelves.

“Huh? Did you finish the autopsy?” Shuichi asked, confused.

The medic turned to the two. “Turns out some of the bottles are from my lab, and I wanted to check by myself what was missing.”

“And so? Did you get any clues?” Kaito approached the shelf Rantaro was searching through.

“Not a lot of products are missing actually. Mostly needles, soporifics and paralyzing substances. All the painkillers are still here.” he explained.

**Obtained truth bullet! Rantaro’s lab**

“Wait, how come there are paralyzing products in your lab? I thought you said there were no products that could be used to kill!” Kaito exclaimed.

He crossed his arms. “Well, same reason why there are painkillers in my lab. They’re often used during surgical operations actually. Although I doubt that was the objective of whoever stole them.”

“Wait, can those products be lethal?” Shuichi asked.

Rantaro stayed silent, probably choosing his words.

“... Yes. Most of these products are lethal when you take more than a gram. However I preferred not to mention the presence of lethal products when we discovered my lab. But I assure you they aren’t lethal when used properly.”

“I see...” Shuichi muttered.

 **Obtained truth bullet! Paralyzing products**

“I’m sorry I lied to you guys about this, but I preferred to keep the dangerous details to myself, I hope you understand why.” he explained.

Kaito scratched the back of his head. “I mean yeah but... You still hide a lot from us, don’t you think?”

“And yet if you look back at the last trial, that’s because Kirumi, Ryoma and Keebo were silent about Kirumi’s talent that we were able to pinpoint the culprit.” he didn’t look at the biker in the eyes.

“That’s not the solution everyone likes, but keeping secrets is more useful than you would think.”

Although he tried to hide it, Kaito flinched. Was _he_ hiding something?

The three stepped out of the lab. They went to Miu’s lab to see if she had found anything useful. However, she wasn’t there when they entered, so they figured that she was done with her research.

They decided to go to Kirumi’s lab to see if she had found anything.

However, when reaching the stairs of the second floor, they found Miu, who had been visibly running, panic written all over her face.

“Guys!! I need your help!” she yelled.

“W-What’s happening?” Shuichi asked, worried.

“In the entrance hall- Just follow me!” she exclaimed, running back to the place she mentioned.

The three guys ran after her.

When they reached the hallway, they understood why Miu was panicking so much.

...

...

... No. 

_**“Ding dong, dong ding!”**_

...

.......... Not him.

......................... Another victim...?

**“A body has been discovered!”**

**“Everyone, please gather in the entrance hall!”**

There, laying on the ground...

_... Was the dead- or rather, inactivate body of Keebo, the ultimate without a known talent._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... Whoops.


	17. Chapter 3: What is beyond humans’ control - Deadly life (part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keebo has been found dead as well! Now they have two murders on their hands to investigate, and little time to find out the truth.

“... Keebo?” Shuichi muttered.

Kaito got down and put a hand on the metal plate of his chest, then shook his head. “It’s no use... He is like completely deactivated.”

By looking around, the situation felt odd. There were no signs of struggle. Keebo didn’t seem to have suffered any injuries, if you could call it that way.

It was like someone simply turned him off permanently. The body discovery announcement played when they saw him, that meant that he was out for good.

But how?

Shuichi thought about the times Keebo glitched after the flashback lights. Could that be the reason why he ‘died’...?

Just as he thought that, the others came rushing in.

“I heard the body discovery announcement. What happened?” Kirumi asked, a small hint of worry on her face.

“Keebo is completely deactivated but I- I thought he looked alright?!” Kaito exclaimed.

Shuichi frowned. “But... If he completely shut down himself, then no one killed him, right?”

Monokuma popped in, surprising everyone. “Wrong!”

“Huh? Weren’t you replaced by the monokubs?” Angie asked, confused.

“I was only on a nice, relaxing vacation! But two victims in a row? That means some rules have to be explained!”

The others were listening, despite the general annoyance and panic.

“First off. The body discovery announcement plays only when the death wasn’t from natural causes! Which means...”

“... That one of you really is responsible for metal-face’s death!”

But why? Why would anyone kill him? They were already investigating the horrible death of Himiko... Would they even gain something from killing during the investigation?

But more importantly, how could anyone even kill him? He wasn’t even dismantled, he was simply deactivated for good. And in such a short amount of time? They only separated 20 minutes ago at most. how could the killer even have time to do so?

His death was a mystery.

But one question remained more important.

_What happens when there are two victims?_

It seems everyone was wondering the same.

“And now... What happens to your votes if there are two blackened candidates?”

The bear raised his paws in the air. “Well, I have an answer for that! It’s first come, first served!”

Shuichi frowned. “First come, first served...?”

“The blackened who killed the first victim to be discovered will be your target.” he explained. “In other words, if the blackened who killed Himiko isn’t the same one who killed Keebo...”

He smiled. “Then only Himiko’s killer will be considered the blackened.”

“Basically, Keebo’s killer wasted a kill, and Keebo himself is a waste of a victim.”

Upon a brief glance, Shuichi could see Ryoma glaring furiously at the bear.

“I also updated the Monokuma file. Do your best to investigate this murder, too.”

**Obtained truth bullet! Updated Monokuma file #3**

The bears left shortly after.

They now had a new death on their hands to investigate.

But Monokuma said it himself...

If the two blackened were different people...

... That meant if they get through this trial, Himiko’s killer would be executed and they would still have a murderer in the group.

Shuichi shook his head to try and forget the thought.

~~Was a part of him hoping the two victims were killed by the same person?~~

He took his monopad to see the informations about the second victim.

_Monokuma file #3 -updated-_

  * The second victim is Keebo, the ultimate ???
  * The body was discovered in the entrance hall.
  * The estimated time of death is 8:00 AM.
  * The cause of death is unknown.
  * No injuries were noted in the victim’s body.



“That doesn’t give us any new information!” Kaito yelled.

“Is the cause of death important enough not to be given?” Rantaro pondered.

Tsumugi crossed her arms. “However Keebo’s murderer doesn’t matter. If we want to stay alive it’s Himiko’s murder that we have to solve.”

Ryoma glared at her. “His case may be meaningless in the class trial, but I think he deserves to have his killer exposed at the very least.”

“Our lives are on the line, Ryoma. I’m sure you of all people understand that.” she replied.

“And each falling soldier deserves an honorable death, Tsumugi. Choosing to fully ignore his death would be like spitting on his grave. Or I’m guessing you think soldiers are emotionless and don’t care about others?”

The prodigy reached her hand towards the motionless robot. “Compare the two victims for more than a second. It’s obvious two different people are responsible for those two’s deaths. Himiko’s killer is our target, Monokuma said so himself.”

“That’s enough.” Rantaro stepped between the two. “... I’ll go back to making the autopsy. I would like two people with me again if possible.”

Judging by how Ryoma wanted to investigate Keebo’s murder, the two accompanying Rantaro would have to be different people.

Everyone glanced at each other.

Shuichi took a deep breath. This wasn’t what he wanted, but he volunteered. “I’ll go with you.”

Rantaro looked at him, frowning. “Are you sure?”

He nodded. “If Ryoma wants to investigate Keebo’s death then I’ll replace him to go with you.”

Ryoma looked at him, surprised, then weakly smiled. “Thanks, kid.”

Shuichi smiled back. He didn’t know the two well, but he knew they were pretty closed off from the rest of the group. Ryoma was close to Rantaro, Keebo, and that was it. it was natural to let him investigate on his friend’s death.

Kirumi took a step forward. “I was just done with the inspection of my lab. I can go as well if you have to investigate certain locations, Kiyo.”

The therapist nodded in acknowledgement. “Thank you, Kirumi.”

Before going with Kirumi and Rantaro, Shuichi glanced at Kokichi.

He didn’t even seem to care. It was like he had completely given up. His eyes were darted on the ground, not even focusing on anything.

Himiko’s death had been a shock for everyone, but Kokichi was a whole other story.

If it wasn’t for her, he would probably not have tried to talk to anyone in the group.

She knew about the dangers of his talent and yet never gave up on him.

Shuichi couldn’t even begin to imagine how Kokichi was taking the news.

“You coming, Shuichi?” Rantaro called him.

The groups separated, and the ‘autopsy trio’ headed back to the shrine of judgement.

As they were walking, Shuichi turned to Kirumi. “Have you found anything useful in your lab?”

“Basically all the poison bottles are gone, and several sharp knives as well.”

The mercenary sighed. “My entire lab was completely devastated. I thought that the killer was in a hurry and searched through all places to get what they wanted, but it looks like they actually did so to confuse us about what really happened.”

**Obtained truth bullet! Kirumi’s lab**

“It took me a while to search through everything since I hided the poisons in different places and locked drawers, but everything was completely destroyed and torn appart.”

“Destroyed?” Rantaro raised an eyebrow.

She nodded. “I know this sounds odd, but I’m guessing someone went there with an axe to get what they wanted. I even found a few shattered poison bottles on the floor.”

**Obtained truth bullet! Bottles on the floor**

“That’s really strange...” Shuichi said.

"Can someone else testify to the state of your lab?” Rantaro asked.

Kirumi hummed. “Tsumugi joined me when I was searching for clues in my lab to check on how I was doing. And then you know what happened. The body discovery announcement played, Tsumugi and I rushed out to join you guys.”

Rantaro nodded. “... I see.”

The trio finished their walk in silence.

Now that Shuichi thought about it, their trio was rather unusual.

A mercenary killing people for money, trained to kill them quickly and cleanly. A war medic trained to heal people from their worst injuries on the battlefield out of pure devotion. And finally, himself, a simple violinist among the warriors.

Shuichi felt silly, to be the only one with a talent as innocent as playing violin. A part of him was telling him this was for the best, not to be used to seeing dead bodies.

But even just by looking at the other two...

Seeing people with such different ideals getting along to solve Himiko’s murder- a mercenary and a war medic of all people...

This sent a chill down his spine.

He wasn’t sure if the two even cared about that.

Shuichi wished he had that much self control and didn’t overthink the whole situation.

They reached the shrine once again.

Shuichi got chills looking at Himiko’s corpse again, but he accepted to accompany Rantaro here, and he was going to keep his word.

He noticed Rantaro glaring at the body. But it didn’t feel like he was mad at Himiko.

It felt like he was mad at himself. That looking at the body proved his lack of control over the situation.

Shuichi had just promised the day before that he was going to keep an eye on the group and yet...

He failed to keep his promise.

A wave of guilt hit him in the face.

Without a word, Rantaro kneeled in front of Himiko to make the autopsy in silence.

“... Try to see if there’s something else in the shrine. Kiyo found the destroyed bottles scattered around in the stairs and flowerpots.”

However, when Shuichi looked around, something didn’t feel quite right.

Something was missing.

“Doesn’t the shrine feel empty to you?” Kirumi muttered so she wouldn’t disturb Rantaro.

“That’s what I was thinking...” Shuichi replied, keeping his voice low.

He took another look at the scene. After closer inspection... "Are some plants missing?”

He approached some of the flower bushes that felt empty. And the plants were... Snatched from their flowerpots? The flowers, for some reason, were still there. Only the bushes had disappeared. Strange...

**Obtained truth bullet! Missing bushes**

The two looked around to see if they had found any more clues.

They sometimes found scattered, empty bottles. Most of them had liquid around them, like the bottles were full when they shattered, or rather, thrown at full force against the walls and the floor.

**Obtained truth bullet! Liquid on the floor**

However a thing they noticed is that all of them were missing their labels, making them completely unidentifiable. Some of the glass shards from the bottles had traces of the labels still here, but not even a single letter was visible on the remains.

**Obtained truth bullet! Missing labels**

Kirumi also found a broken syringe hidden in the flowers. It had been used, judging from the traces of liquid inside.

**Obtained truth bullet! Used syringe**

Shuichi sighed. It was like the killer went out of their way to use everything they could possibly find for the murder to confuse everyone.

And it worked.

“Could you guys come here for a second?” Rantaro asked. He was examining one of the wooden stakes.

Rantaro tried to wipe of some of the blood that was on it. “Am I seeing things or does this part look burned?”

Upon further inspection, it did. The part that was stained in blood had this dark grey color on it.

**Obtained truth bullet! Burned wooden stake**

“It’s very weak, but I can see a faint burn mark. Wasn’t this stake planted in Himiko’s chest?” Kirumi asked.

“It was.” He pointed at the other two stakes. “You see this part? There isn’t much blood that came out of the wound, unlike most of the others.”

Kirumi approached her hand to the wound. “I understand where you are getting at. You’re saying there is a possibility this was made after her death, since her heart stopped beating and the blood wasn’t circulating anymore. Her wound would of course be less bloody than the rest.”

“Exactly.” Rantaro confirmed.

Those two had quite a lot of knowledge of the human body, which was understandable considering their jobs, but this still felt weird to Shuichi.

“But... What do you think even is the cause of death?” he asked.

The medic carefully looked around.

“I don’t really know. The sliced throat and the wound caused by the axe are both very serious injuries, but considering how bloody the two wounds are, she was definitely alive when she received both of them.”

“What about the rest of the wounds? Do you think you can get any clues out of them?” Shuichi asked. He wasn’t a medical expert, so perhaps those questions were actually obvious.

“I’m trying to focus on the wounds that stands out but I guess it wouldn’t hurt to talk about them.”

He gestured to the various cuts. “I don’t think these cuts were really important. They let out a certain amount of blood, but are rather minor compared to some other wounds.”

He took out the darts planted in her left palm. “I feel like I’ve seen them somewhere...”

Shuichi put a finger on his chin. Then it clicked. “Aren’t these from Kokichi’s lab? He had sets of darts, right?”

Kirumi nodded. “We were all part of the group to open Kokichi’s lab. I’ve seen those when trying to clean up the games a little.”

Rantaro stared at Himiko’s left hand. Her fingers were bent in different ways. This was painful to look at.

“The killer completely broke her fingers, as well as her ankle. What even was the objective here?” he asked to no one in particular.

The medic lifted Himiko’s head a little to look at the back. “Her head was bashed against something. I’m guessing it’s the floor judging by the bloodstain under her hoodie- Hm?”

He slightly turned her head to the right. He carefully touched her neck, or more accurately, the small red mark visible on it.

“... The killer used some kind of needle to inject her something. That would explain why some of them disappeared from my lab.”

******Obtained truth bullet! Rantaro’s autopsy**

He turned back to Shuichi. “Basically, as harsh as it sounds, the injuries hardly give any clues. I’m wondering what is up with the wooden stake and the needle mark, but none of the injuries give any major clues, I think.”

“Did you guys finish inspecting the shrine?” Rantaro asked.

“I think so. Do you have something you want to check, Shuichi?” Kirumi glanced at the violinist.

He hummed. “Perhaps not here, but it wouldn’t hurt to check on the others.”

Rantaro nodded. “Can I leave this to you? Kirumi and I will keep an eye on the body in the meantime.”

Somehow Shuichi was relieved. He was starting to feel sick from the entire scene.

Just as he stepped outside, he remembered that all of them were going to step back into the shrine to get to the trial grounds.

... Were there even trial grounds anymore? After last time’s incident, Monokuma would have to rebuild the courtroom.

However that was not important, for now.

Shuichi checked his monopad to see where the others were.

Now that he thought about it, the monopad didn’t show him where the others were, but rather where their monopads were.

Perhaps he should keep that in mind.

**Obtained truth bullet! Monopad’s functions**

He arrived at the main building. Perhaps he should try to see how Kokichi was keeping up.

According to his monopad, he was in his own lab, along with Kiyo.

Shuichi hesitated, perhaps this wasn’t a good idea after all but there was a possibility some important things were in his lab.

He made his way to the stairs, and just as he reached the third floor, he saw the therapist going down.

“Oh, you were with um...” he trailed off.

“If you’re talking about Kokichi he is going to need some support. When I tried to talk to him he didn’t respond a single time. But to be honest...”

Kiyo paused.

“... I’m a bit worried he will not even try to go to the trial and get punished for it. It seems as though he doesn’t even care about the outcome of the trial.”

That was worrying. Perhaps Rantaro would have been a better choice to talk to him, but he was already busy guarding the body.

He didn’t enough time left to go back and ask the medic for help.

“I... I will try to talk to him.” Shuichi mumbled.

He headed to the lab and knocked on the door. He doubted that an answer would come, but that was more of a sign he was coming than anything else.

When he opened the door, Kokichi was sitting on the ground, arms crossed on top of his knees.

... Perhaps he should have thought about something to say before entering.

“I understand if you don’t want to talk but... I need to know if there are any clues in your lab.”

The sitting boy stayed silent for a moment.

“... Darts are missing. Rest is intact.” he muttered under his breath.

The violinist approached the shelves where the darts were stocked. They were pretty messy, someone definitely threw things away to get what they wanted.

**Obtained truth bullet! Kokichi’s lab**

“I keep asking why the killer chose Himiko, but it’s obvious.”

Shuichi was startled by the sudden talk. He turned to Kokichi, who hadn’t moved an inch.

“You... Know why...?”

His response wasn’t instant. It was like Kokichi didn’t even want to say it, but forced himself to do so.

“Himiko’s constitution is really weak compared to the average.”

Shuichi raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“Her body is weak. She is small, weighs nothing and has no physical strength. She was hospitalized several times because of this.”

He paused.

“She was just an easy target.”

He strengthened his grip on his sleeves, trying to make himself look even smaller.

“... And I couldn’t do anything.”

**Obtained truth bullet! Himiko’s constitution**

Shuichi couldn’t respond. What was there even to say...?

He opened his mouth to perhaps try to tell him that it wasn’t his fault but-

_**Ding dong bing bong!** _

Too late. They had to head to the shrine of judgement once again for the trial.

The violinist turned to Kokichi.

“We have to go.”

“Is there even a point for me to go?”

Just as Kiyo expected.

“I think... I think Himiko would have wanted you to go. For her sake.”

He felt guilty playing the Himiko card, but if this was the only way to make him come, then he had to.

“How could you know what she would have wanted?"

Shuichi held his breath. “She wanted to see you smile, remember? She was extremely worried about you when you were in your room on the fourth floor, and even felt guilty that you had to endure the disease on your own.”

Kokichi visibly flinched at the mention of the disease.

“... R-Really?” he mumbled, not even looking at him.

“I assure you she only wanted the best for you.” Shuichi smiled weakly. A fake smile that was useless since Kokichi wasn’t even looking at him.

To his surprise, the boy stood up.

“Fine I’ll... I’ll do it.”

Shuichi let out a sigh in relief.

“Then let’s go.”

The walk was silent. Kokichi kept his gaze to the ground. Even though he had accepted to go, it’s clear he didn’t want to.

When they reached the shrine, everyone was already there. He noticed the plants had been rearranged, Himiko’s corpse wasn’t there anymore and the place was overall cleaner than how they found it earlier.

When Rantaro saw Shuichi and Kokichi entering, he quietly approached the violinist. “Can I talk to you for a second?”

The two separated themselves from the group to talk.

“What did you want to tell me?” Shuichi asked.

“Thanks for convincing Kokichi to come to the trial.” He began.

“Ah... No problem. Although we’ll have to support him after that. I think I only convinced him to come but... The trial will be another thing entirely...” he lowered his gaze.

Rantaro sighed. “We don’t have a choice anyway. At least he won’t get executed for his absence.”

“Oh and...” he added. “I know you were uncomfortable with Kirumi and I earlier. Just so you know, you don’t have to feel bad about it.”

How did he...?

“It was written all over your face. You really don’t have to feel useless because you lacked knowledge of the human body. It’s already a lot to have one person with good knowledge, so you don’t have to feel pressured about this.”

Shuichi weakly smiled. “Thank you.”

The elevator came and everyone entered.

The travel to the courtroom was silent, as usual.

After all they had to solve not one, but two murders.

One that was probably a death more painful than the executions themselves, and one he didn’t know anything about.

The door opened, revealing the fixed courtroom. It looked the same as before, however the glass planes were letting a turquoise colored light into the room, which felt different from the pink from the previous trials.

They went to their respective podiums. The courtroom felt way emptier than before, with three more empty spots.

Now was the time to reveal the truth. For Himiko’s sake. For Keebo’s sake.

And everyone else’s.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Place 👏 your 👏 bets 👏  
> Also I updated the character's introduction to add the likes and dislikes!


	18. Chapter 3: What is beyond humans’ control - Deadly life (part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trial starts with not one, but two deaths to investigate! Uncovering the truth is a must, for both Himiko and Keebo's sakes.

...

Monokuma explained the rules of the class trial as usual.

Shuichi was starting to remember them by heart, which was not a good thing.

He nervously glanced at Kokichi, who was now the first person to his left. He was exactly like when they had found Keebo dead earlier.

Gaze kept to the ground, unwilling to look at anyone in the eye, and a dreadful expression of guilt on his face.

“I’m suggesting we talk about Himiko first, since she is our top priority.” Tsumugi started.

“Agreed. The sooner we solve this atrocity, the better.” Kiyo confirmed.

“Is it really useful to talk about the murder weapon?” Kaito asked. “I mean there were so many of them back in the shrine...”

“Well, from what I’ve seen from the autopsy there are a few things that could be discussed.” Rantaro replied.

“There is something I would like to ask first.” Tsumugi raised a hand, interrupting Rantaro.

“What is it?” Shuichi turned to the girl.

“How was the motive handled by all of you?” she asked.

“Ryoma, Kokichi and you were placed in the three empty rooms on the fourth floor, that the others had equipped for you to be comfortable while things calmed down.” Rantaro explained.

“Since taking care of patients in emergency situations is literally my talent, I volunteered to be the one in charge alone so the others wouldn’t risk getting infected as well.”

“Since I was trained to stay half awake and on guard, that included me resting on a chair in front of your rooms in case something went wrong.”

She nodded, but looked incredibly skeptic. “I see.”

Ryoma crossed his arms. “If you have something to say about the way we were handled, then perhaps now isn’t the time to complain.”

Tsumugi shook her head. “No. I’m talking about something else.” She fiddled with a lock of her hair. “We can all agree that all the weapons came from different labs, correct?”

Shuichi nodded. “Yes, the scissors came from Maki’s lab, we have some tools from Angie’s and Rantaro’s labs, knives from Kirumi’s lab and even darts from Kokichi’s lab.”

"Then something doesn’t quite make sense.”

“What doesn’t? The killer went to the labs to take them! We all saw how they were all messed up during the investigation!” Miu countered.

“No I mean...” the prodigy narrowed her eyes. “Rantaro was the one guarding our rooms in case something went wrong, right?” She turned to the medic.

“My question is, how did the killer even managed to get all those weapons without Rantaro noticing anything?”

Shuichi’s heart skipped a beat.

“What?” he instinctively said.

Rantaro sighed. “I wanted to stay silent until the trial so whoever did this would have less time to think of an excuse in case they thought I wouldn’t notice it but...”

_“... I believe I was drugged last night.”_

Kirumi raised an eyebrow. “You ‘believe’? Did you or did you not get drugged last night?”

He crossed his arms on his podium. “It means I didn’t feel someone physically injecting me something, but I’m sure as hell whatever dinner you gave me had soporifics in it.”

“Huh??” Miu’s eyes widened in confusion.

“Hold on. What happened to you last night?” Ryoma gestured to the others to let him speak.

“Miu and Shuichi gave me dinner for the ill ones and me. You two can testify to that.” he explained.

Shuichi nodded. “Well, Kirumi prepared the meals and asked us to bring them to you, so we did.”

Angie put her elbows on her podium, head in her palms. “Kirumi prepared those meals? Pretty suspicious~”

“Let Rantaro finish his testimony.” Kiyo requested.

“Thank you.” Rantaro nodded. “You two gave me three of those meals to give to the sick ones and Shuichi put one of them in my lab for me to grab after I make sure they eat properly.”

Shuichi now realized how suspicious he looked. Was Rantaro doubting him? He wouldn’t even be mad if that was the case, considering how many times he doubted the medic.

“I... I promise I didn’t do anything-”

“Let him finish his testimony.” Ryoma glared at him.

After a short silence, Rantaro continued. “Once the three finished, I went back to my lab to eat, and so I did. After that I took time to wash the dishes and disinfect them.”

He clenched his fists resting on the podium. “But by the time I was done, I was starting to feel tired and I believe I collapsed in the stairs between the third and the fourth floor.”

Tsumugi slightly tilted her head. “Is there anything that could prove your testimony? You could be babbling lies for all we know. Even though you made your intentions very clear last trial, understand that I will only believe you if you show some evidence of the incident.”

“Actually I can!” Miu put her hands on the podium.

Shuichi understood what she meant.

“That’s right... Didn’t you say you found Rantaro sleeping in his lab this morning?”

The street artist nodded. “He was sleeping in his lab and not on the chair in front of the rooms on the fourth floor!”

“Are you saying this was a set-up by the killer to incriminate Rantaro?” Kiyo pondered.

“Drugging the one taking care of others? That’s a low blow...” Angie noted.

“Could you explain your reasoning in more details? This is a rather weak argument in my opinion. Rantaro could have taken the second chair to his lab.” Tsumugi asked.

Upon a quick glance, Shuichi could see the medic’s nails digging into the wooden podium. Considering her attitude last trial, she wouldn’t stop accusing Rantaro for a while.

“When I brought dinner in Rantaro’s lab yesterday, there weren’t any chairs at all in the room. I’m sure of it.” Shuichi explained. “What did the chair look like?”

“It looked like one of the chairs in Kirumi’s lab.”

“My lab?” Kirumi repeated.

“Definitely from your lab.”

The mercenary pondered for a moment. “I was in my lab until nighttime to do my regular cleaning. And no chairs were missing, I’m sure of it.”

Tsumugi continued her interrogation. “And when exactly was the dinner brought to the Despair disease group?”

“It was around 7 PM, I think?” Miu turned to Shuichi.

“I would say between 7:00 PM and 7:30 PM.” the violinist confirmed.

Kaito looked at his monopad. “But if Kirumi was in her lab he couldn’t have taken it!”

“So if Rantaro didn’t take it between after dinner and the nighttime announcement I think we can safely say that he actually never did.” Shuichi concluded.

Tsumugi stayed silent for a second.

“... Not the strongest argument, but we cannot afford to be picky about this for now.”

Rantaro let out a small sigh of relief. At least the prodigy seemed to have learned since last trial.

Angie tapped her cheek with a finger. “But the killer would have to put the soporific in Rantaro’s plate specifically, right? Which means...”

She turned to Shuichi, tilting her head to the side. “... That whoever put the plate in Rantaro’s lab was the one to do it.”

_“In other words, you, Shuichi.”_

His heart skipped a beat. Everyone’s eyes were on him.

“I- um...”

He had never been accused directly by someone. Last time, Ryoma had suspected a whole group including him, but direct accusation felt different.

He hated it.

Ryoma, Tsumugi and Angie’s accusatory glares sent chills down his spine.

Miu and Kaito waited for his answer with worry on their faces. Like they wanted to believe he didn’t do it. It was his idea to go in Rantaro’s lab by himself to put the plate here. Was Miu staying silent for his sake?

Kirumi, Kiyo and Rantaro were unreadable. It was clear that they didn’t care who was the blackened. They only wanted to stay alive at all costs, which was understandable.

But upon a quick glance, even though Shuichi was accused of killing _Himiko_ of all people, Kokichi wasn’t even looking at him, and he could understand even less what he was thinking.

Was Kokichi wondering something?

He pushed that idea aside. He had to find a good defense, quick.

“I-”

“I don’t know why you think that, but Rantaro wasn’t the only one to get drugged yesterday.”

Everyone suddenly turned to the source of the voice.

_Kokichi._

“... What?”

“Yesterday after Rantaro gave me dinner I felt tired and fell asleep soon after.” he said in a low voice.

“So all the plates were drugged after all?” Kaito voiced.

“Now hold on a second.” Tsumugi frowned. “You remember what happened while you had the disease?”

“So you don’t remember either, Tsumugi.” Ryoma confirmed.

She brought up an important point. If those two had no memory of the last few days, how could Kokichi be the only one to remember?

Kokichi looked at Tsumugi with confused eyes. “You... Don’t...?”

It’s true that he hadn’t been there when Tsumugi informed them about this. But the situation felt strange.

“So you just had a fever after all?” Rantaro asked.

Shuichi thought about the day the disease appeared.

...

_“W-wait…”_

_Kokichi raised his hand. “I d-don’t really know… M-Maybe I’m wrong but… I feel like I have it t-too…”_

_Himiko jumped. “Huh? Really?”_

_He nodded. “I… I feel dizzy a-and my head is spinning… But I don’t feel any mental change s-so I’m not sure.”_

_Rantaro approached him and put the palm of his hand on the small boy’s forehead. “You’re feverish. We shouldn’t take any risks.”_

...

“I don’t know... Maybe but I... Don’t really know...” Kokichi muttered.

Shuichi may not be the best at reading people, but it was easy to see that the shock, the grief was getting to him to the point of not feeling like doing anything.

That there was no point in continuing.

An atrocious feeling of pure _despair_.

Kirumi pondered. “We know someone put soporifics in the meals. At least we’re getting somewhere.”

Tsumugi crossed her arms. “I still don’t exclude Rantaro as a suspect since there was a possibility he didn’t want us possibly interrupting him.”

Rantaro rolled his eyes. “Whatever. I’m not even trying to convince _you_ anymore.”

“That means we can exclude the ill ones as suspects, right?” Kaito asked.

“I wouldn’t say so that soon.” Tsumugi replied. “Rantaro was still the only one to look after us. Sneaking out was definitely a possibility.”

“That includes you, doesn’t it?” Angie asked.

“It also includes Ryoma and Kokichi. I know better than to exclude myself as a suspect to the price of excluding the culprit as well.”

Shuichi glanced at the other two in question. Ryoma was pretty unlikely considering how he acted the morning he got the disease.

And Kokichi... He was still a mystery. But if he really was the culprit, why would he defend Rantaro and him?

It wouldn’t make sense, but this was not out of the question.

If only they knew what Kokichi even had. That would at least help them understanding the situation.

“Say, Kokichi, do you still feel feverish?” Rantaro raised an eyebrow. He seemed to be wondering the same.

“Not really... I feel awful but... Not physically.” he mumbled. “I’m just tired.”

“If his symptoms stopped right after Himiko died, then surely he had the disease, right?” Angie questioned.

“That’s most likely, but Rantaro, can you confirm the lack of mental change for him?” Kirumi added.

“Nope. No mental change, I’m sure of it.” he answered.

“Is this really important, though?” Tsumugi asked. “We’re straying away from our objective he-”

“How about I spice things up for a change?” Monokuma interrupted.

Angie looked confused. “Spice things up...?”

“I am suggesting you all a deal!”

Shuichi frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Here’s the deal. If you investigate Keebo’s death, which I doubt any of you will do by yourself in this class trial, I will reveal Karma boy’s condition!”

Kiyo looked unimpressed. “... You just admitted the two deaths were not linked in the slightest.”

The bear started sweating. “That’s- Not-”

“It’s not like we didn’t expect it.” Ryoma rolled his eyes.

“Hey! I can’t let you do a class trial with two deaths without any of you investigating the second!” the bear yelled.

The group exchanged glances.

“What do we do...? Is it really that important?” Shuichi pondered.

“If Monokuma suggests telling us that probably means something.” Kiyo put a finger on his chin.

The group started arguing whether or not it was a good idea.

“My, my... Am I hearing a split opinion?” Monokuma put his paws on his mouth.

“I swear I’m going to break this bear into pieces one day.” Ryoma muttered under his breath.

Monokuma placed the key in the lock and turning it.

The podiums started elevating, creating two sides.

This was the third time this happened, and yet Shuichi really couldn’t get used to getting so high in the air, holding onto the podium as hard as he could.

The podiums separated into two sides.

_Is Keebo’s death worth investigating?_

On the left, Rantaro, Tsumugi, Kirumi, Miu and Kaito. _It’s not worth it!_

On the right, Ryoma, Shuichi, Kokichi, Kiyo and Angie. _It’s worth it!_

_Scrum debate, start!_

**_Tsumugi:_** The two deaths are **unrelated**. We only need to find the first killer!

**_Ryoma:_** Because the two deaths are **unrelated** doesn’t mean Keebo doesn’t deserve justice.

_**Kirumi:**_ Even if Monokuma reveals what Kokichi’s **condition** was, I doubt this will truly be useful for this case.

**_Kokichi:_** At least I want to know what my **condition** was...

**_Miu:_** But if the two are unrelated, what kind of **hints** would it give us?

**_Kiyo:_** If Monokuma makes a deal with us about it, then it’s probably an important **hint**.

**_Kaito:_** Monokuma could be **lying** to us for all we know!

**_Angie:_** Monokuma is loyal to his rules, **lying** wouldn’t be good for him~~

_**Rantaro:**_ There is still a time limit. We can debate about this after the **trial** is over!

**_Shuichi:_** There is a chance Monokuma will give us hints about Keebo’s death as well if we do it during this **trial**!

The podiums went back to normal.

“Please guys... I know we shouldn’t agree with Monokuma but we could miss a major hint...”

The other group glanced at each other.

Rantaro sighed. “We don’t have a choice, do we?”

Monokuma chimed in. “Nope! You guys will investigate on both deaths! I’m just offering you a nice reward if you do it now!”

The medic glared at the bear for a second. “... Alright. Then it’s for the best.”

_“We have to investigate Keebo’s death.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh hey I didn't end the chapter with a cliffhanger this time.


	19. Chapter 3: What is beyond humans’ control - Deadly life (part 4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group has to investigate Keebo's death in order to continue! but who is this mysterious "waste of a killer"?

...

“Where do we even start?” Miu asked.

“Ryoma, did you find anything on Keebo?” Rantaro turned to the other soldier.

"Kaito and I checked on his body to see what was wrong, and all his circuits are intact, from what we’ve managed to look at.” the smaller man explained.

Angie tilted her head to the side. “And... What does that mean?”

“It means basically that no one harmed him in the span of time we were investigating.” Kaito answered.

Tsumugi rolled her eyes. “Of course. That would have been way too easy otherwise.”

Shuichi looked at the Monokuma file. “The cause of death isn’t given, just that he received no injuries... But how could he even die then?”

Kiyo frowned. “Unfortunately I do not have knowledge in robotics, and neither does a majority of us. We’ll have to leave this to you three; Ryoma, Kaito and Tsumugi.”

Ryoma pondered. “The file says he died this morning, he was very much alive when we started the investigation.”

Kirumi bit her nail. “We were not even separated for a long time. I doubt the killer would have time to deconstruct him and rebuild him enough for us not to notice if anything was wrong.”

Rantaro tapped a finger on his arm. “Besides, I don’t think Keebo would have let himself being deconstructed and killed. He would have to fight back.”

Shuichi frowned. Nothing made sense. He wasn’t injured, he died when everyone was away investigating, and all of this in such a short amount of time.

“If the killer actually rebuilt Keebo enough for us not to notice it, they would at least have had tools on them and managed to trap Keebo, right?” Kaito was confused as well.

“Or they were competent enough to disable him without Keebo even being able to do anything.” Tsumugi suggested.

“Doesn’t that look too convenient to you?” Kiyo raised an eyebrow. “That would mean their plan went perfectly, and knew exactly where Keebo was going to be, and plus, out of everyone’s sight.”

“Besides, trust me when I say that there are no tools to quickly disassemble and reassemble Keebo in less than 20 minutes.” Ryoma explained.

Kaito nodded, agreeing with him.

Miu pinched the bridge of her nose. “Let me get this straight. No one would have been able to just disassemble Keebo and put him back so none of us would notice anything, but someone _still_ managed to kill him in a span of 20 minutes?”

Shuichi crossed his arms and pondered. Mechanic or not, this was indeed impossible to pull off in such a short amount of time.

“Are we sure his death wasn’t accidental and Monokuma isn’t just messing with us?” he asked.

“Hey! Bears never lie!” The mascot yelled from his throne. “I made quite clear that one of you is responsible for Mr. robot’s death!”

Tsumugi perked up. “Responsible...?”

Kaito waved a hand in confusion. “Well, yeah? He said so earlier!”

Rantaro had a finger on his chin. “No, I think I understand where she’s getting at.”

“And that is...?” Miu frowned.

“’Killed’ means the person went out of their way to murder him. ‘Being responsible’ means that they are indeed the cause of Keebo’s death, but not necessarily directly or on purpose.” Tsumugi explained.

“... But the person would still be considered the blackened if there wasn’t a victim discovered before.” Rantaro concluded.

“Exactly.”

That put things into a new perspective. At least the person behind it perhaps didn’t want to kill him in the first place.

“So, should we assume the killer acted indirectly, not on purpose or perhaps both?” Kirumi asked.

Ryoma crossed his arms. “One theory at a time. I guess we could try the ‘not on purpose’ one since it’s most likely what happened.”

Shuichi nodded.

Angie looked up and started thinking. “Perhaps the two fought and they ended up killing Keebo instead of simply injuring him?”

“That would mean either Keebo engaged the fight and ended up getting killed in the process, or the killer wanted to disable him and accidentally killed him instead.” Kiyo suggested.

“... Perhaps the killer wanted a discussion with him and it went out of control?” Shuichi added.

“A discussion during the investigation of a murder?” Tsumugi raised an eyebrow.

Shuichi now realized how odd that sounded.

“Are you insinuating the killer knew Keebo was the one to murder Himiko and decided to talk to him?” Ryoma looked skeptic.

“But why would they talk to the killer of all people and not one of us??” Miu felt the same.

Kiyo shook his head. “I don’t think that’s it.”

“It still wouldn’t explain how he was killed.” Rantaro added.

Angie tapped her cheek. “He was discovered in the entrance hall, right? Perhaps the killer pushed him from one of the upper floors!”

Kirumi frowned. “There would have been injuries on his body if that was the case.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure.” Ryoma interrupted. “I worked on his maintenance for some time, and his body is extremely resistant.”

“So pushing him from a higher place wouldn’t have injured his body at all?” Rantaro asked.

The small man nodded. “It’s a possibility.”

“But could that mean he had internal injuries?” Kirumi turned to him.

Rantaro looked at his monopad. “The Monokuma file says ‘no injuries were noted on the victim’s body’, so I’m a bit skeptic.”

Shuichi perked up. Perhaps...

“What if the fall didn’t break a single piece, but still derailed his program?”

Tsumugi’s eyes widened a little. “That’s... Actually plausible.”

Kaito hit his palm with his fist. “We didn’t notice anything on the circuits, but we couldn’t have seen anything if it was the program itself!”

Kiyo frowned. “However there’s something that I have to ask you all.”

They all turned to the therapist.

_“Did any of you hear the fall?”_

Now that Shuichi thought about it, he didn’t hear anything, perhaps because he was on the upper floors.

But as everyone glanced at each other, he realized that no one did either.

“If Keebo did fall from one of the upper floors, his crash on the floor would have been quite noisy.” Kiyo added.

“So we can rule out ‘the fall’ theory?” Angie pouted.

“I think so...” Shuichi muttered.

Tsumugi sighed. “Back to square one.”

Ryoma shook his head. “Not entirely. At least we know something was done to his programming.”

Kaito pondered. “But still... Doing something to Keebo so his program would derail without anyone hearing and in a span of 20 minutes without him defending himself looks odd.”

“And either indirectly or not on purpose.” Tsumugi added.

“Are we sure we’re on the right track?” Shuichi asked.

Rantaro was nervously tapping his fingers on the podium.

“What I fail to understand is why the second killer is staying silent.”

He was right, sort of. Monokuma would only punish the first killer... But he could understand why the killer wouldn’t want to make themselves known.

“They wouldn’t be the blackened of the case, nor executed. And if the death wasn’t intentional then I personally wouldn’t consider them a killer.” Kirumi added.

Silence.

Tsumugi was intensely thinking.

“What if the killer doesn’t know they’re the killer?”

Miu frowned. “That doesn’t make any sense, how could you not know you killed someone?”

“Then why is no one saying anything already? Unless Himiko’s and Keebo’s killers are the same person I don’t get what they would gain from staying silent!” she exclaimed.

“Let’s not get heated so soon.” Kirumi interrupted. “Let’s recap the possibilities.”

Ryoma started counting on his fingers the theories. “Either the two killers are the same person and their identity could be revealed through this case.”

“A theory we can rule out since we know the two cases are not related. Monokuma said so himself.” Kiyo countered.

“The killer doesn’t know they’re the killer, for whatever reason.” Ryoma continued.

“This doesn’t make any sense but go on.” Miu rolled her eyes.

“The person indirectly killed Keebo and doesn’t want to admit they’re a killer. That’s still a theory we didn’t explore.” he went on.

“I guess that would be possible...” Angie pondered.

“... And finally the killer didn’t do it on purpose and still doesn’t want to admit it even though we’ll have to find out in order to continue the trial.”

More silence.

“I think we can rule out the last one, right?” Shuichi asked, hesitant.

Kiyo glanced at everyone, to perhaps try and see if that was the case.

“...We can rule out the theory.” he declared.

“Although I don’t think that’s the case, I would like to add a theory.” Kirumi raised a hand.

“And that is?” Tsumugi replied.

_“What about a suicide?”_

Shuichi’s heart skipped a beat. “A... Suicide?”

“None of us actually had the ability to kill him in 20 minutes. But if he knows about his own program, then it wouldn’t be impossible for him to deactivate himself.” she explained.

“I don’t know who built Keebo, but I don’t think the creator wouldn’t at least add the three laws of robotics in his programming. That’s a basic thing to do.” Tsumugi looked skeptic.

Angie blinked. “The what now?”

“A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.“ she recited. It’s as though she learned them by heart.

“In other words... He should have a program preventing him from ending his own life.” she summed it up.

Rantaro hummed. “Besides, earlier, Monokuma basically said it wasn’t the case.”

...

_“First off. The body discovery announcement plays only when the death wasn’t from natural causes! Which means...”_

_“... That one of you really is responsible for metal-face’s death!”_

...

“He said ‘one of you is responsible’. He didn’t include Keebo in this.” he explained.

“Hey! Stop using my words against me!” Monokuma yelled from above.

Shuichi swore he could read a ‘watch me’ on Rantaro’s lips.

Ryoma didn’t seem to want to enter the conflict. “Anyway. The killer either doesn’t know they killed him, or they indirectly did kill him and stays silent.”

“I’ve been observing everyone since the beginning of the trial. And I think we can go on with the first theory.” Kiyo noted.

Shuichi raised an eyebrow. “But how would the killer not know about their crime?”

Tsumugi’s gaze shifted to the side, to no one in particular. “... I’ve been thinking about this theory and since Keebo is a robot that is plausible.”

“What does this have to do with anything?” Kaito asked.

“The killer could have modified Keebo’s program without knowing about it, and that’s what led him to his death.” she explained.

“But still, in 20 minutes without Keebo even defending himself?” Miu countered. “We’re still talking about something impossible to pull off”

Rantaro frowned. “Hey Ryoma, Kaito, are you sure you didn’t find anything suspicious with his circuits?”

“I think saying the cause of death is unknown isn’t exactly right. From what Kaito and I have seen, his battery is completely fried, but none of the circuits looked out of place.” Ryoma explained.

Tsumugi fiddled with her hair. “So the killer couldn’t have changed anything in 20 minutes. That’s what we established.”

Kaito nodded. “Yeah... Pretty much.”

“Then how about this.” she started.

_“The killer modified Keebo’s program to fry his battery even before Himiko’s death.”_

Ryoma’s eyes widened, then he started thinking. “The killer modified the program before Himiko’s death... They didn’t know someone would act tonight, and the battery was programmed to die this morning, killing Keebo with it?”

“Precisely.”

Kaito remained confused. “But still, wouldn’t Keebo try to defend himself against the killer?”

_“I don’t know Kaito, you tell me.”_ she bluntly said.

The biker almost jumped. “... Excuse me?”

“I have been informed that _you_ were the one doing his maintenance while Ryoma and I were sick.”

He was speechless, eyes wide.

“And as far as I know, _you_ were the one he trusted for his maintenance those last few days. Now tell me, was it accidental or intentional?”

Kaito couldn’t even say anything.

"No... I didn’t- I-” he stuttered, unable to find words to defend himself.

He nervously laughed. “Haha... That’s... That’s a joke, right?”

Silence.

“Guys... Come on... This isn’t funny...” he muttered.

Ryoma looked at Tsumugi. “You’re saying that Kaito’s maintenance went wrong and Keebo’s battery ended up frying during the investigation?”

“C-Come on! Keebo was fine this morning! T-There’s no way he wouldn’t have noticed his battery was dying!” Kaito exclaimed.

“I wouldn’t be so sure. A human bleeding to death would obviously notice their wound, but a robot isn’t designed to feel pain, so even though he was dying this morning...” Tsumugi explained.

“... He probably didn’t notice it until it was too late.”

Kaito’s grip on his podium tightened, his eyes were darting on all sides, head low so he wouldn’t have to face the others.

He didn’t believe this.

And neither could Shuichi. Miu seemed to feel the same, judging from the terrified look on her face.

“B-But even if I made a mistake during his maintenance t-there’s no way it would derail his program that much and kill him!” he exclaimed.

It looked like a part of him knew, and the other didn’t want to believe it.

But he was right on that point... Even if Kaito wasn’t the best mechanic in robotics, it surely wouldn’t have made him derailed that much, right?

_Unless..._

“Come on! You guys believe me, right?! I didn’t do it I swear!!”

It’s going to be difficult, but this is the only way.

This is the only theory that makes sense.

He has to make him understand.

To continue this trial and hopefully learn more about Himiko’s killer.

He doesn’t have a choice.

_[Argument armament start!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll8ElUkIXBY) _

  


“That’s wrong!”

“I’m not responsible for Keebo’s death!”

“I only performed a

simple maintenance on him!”

_“I didn’t try to do anything!”_

"I don’t even have

the knowledge to

make him derail

that much!”

“It’s not my fault I swear!” 

_“You have to believe me!”_

“There’s no proof I’m the one who killed him!” 

“He’s a robot,

he would still

have known

if I did

anything wrong!”

“Those are just theories, you guys have to be wrong!”

_“There’s no way such a tiny maintenance mistake alone could have derailed him that much!”_

**_Flash back lights damage_ **

“Kaito... The flashback lights already damaged him, remember? It’s possible they modified his program and it derailed just enough for a mistake to be fatal...”

“I...”

The biker didn’t have more to say. Was he finally accepting the truth...?

“I didn’t... It’s not- It’s-” he couldn’t even form a proper sentence.

“It’s not my fault, right...? I’m- I’m not the one who killed him, right...?”

This was difficult to look at. To think Kaito was responsible for Keebo’s death... It felt unreal.

Surely it was an accident, but someone’s life ended nonetheless.

He remembered when Miu tried to poison them a few days ago... It was intentional, but she didn’t end up killing anyone.

For Kaito it was the opposite. He didn’t plan on killing anyone, but ended up doing so by accident without knowing it.

Shuichi knows Miu still feels guilty over the incident and tries her hardest to make up for what she has done.

How would Kaito even act after the trial...?

Shuichi couldn’t bring himself to think about something else.

If Himiko didn’t die, Kaito would have been the real blackened and been executed for it.

But things were different from a normal case.

Kaito was going to live, and will have to feel the guilt of killing someone.

To have blood on his hands for the rest of his life.

~~_But of course that would be assuming he isn’t Himiko’s killer._ ~~

Shuichi brushed off this thought. Judging by Kaito’s reaction to killing Keebo, surely he wouldn’t be the one who killed Himiko so brutally, right...?

“Monokuma...” Rantaro turned to the bear, visibly frustrated.

“You said you would give us details on Kokichi’s condition if we solved Keebo’s murder. Is Kaito really the killer?”

He stayed silent for a few seconds.

“... You are absolutely right!”

Shuichi felt a chill running down his spine.

_“The blackened who killed Keebo is Kaito Momota, the Ultimate biker! But because of his status as the second blackened, he will not be executed for this crime!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Am I pulling the "the two killers are different people and the group will have to live with a murderer" trope never used in a main DR game? Maybe.
> 
> Kokichi's condition was supposed to be told this chapter but there's already a lot of stuff revealed. You'll have to wait.


	20. Chapter 3: What is beyond humans’ control - Deadly life (part 5)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaito was actually the second blackened! A death that was an accident is still a death. But is all this investigation worth it?
> 
> Heavy stuff incoming. Sensible souls beware.

...

Kaito’s face blanched. Shuichi could faintly see sweat drops on his temple.

"I... I’m...”

He felt bad for the biker.

He was the only one with decent knowledge in mechanics and able to do Keebo’s maintenance while both Tsumugi and Ryoma were sick.

The responsibility of Keebo’s death fell on him.

 _He_ was the one responsible.

 _He_ was the reason why the robot wasn’t with them anymore.

Even if Keebo wasn’t human, he was still considered a part of the group. And to Monokuma, he was a participant.

He had a conscience -though less developed than a human’s-, he had thoughts, desires, and even though he didn’t express them much, Keebo _did_ have emotions.

The thought of his friend being executed like Tenko and Maki for a tiny maintenance mistake he didn’t have full control upon...

That terrified Shuichi.

Now that he thought about it, how many of them were responsible for others’ deaths? Or even attempted to kill?

Miu tried to, but couldn’t bring herself to actually do it.

Kaito killed Keebo on accident.

Kokichi was the reason why Kaede was the victim of the second case.

Kirumi murdered several people in the past.

Ryoma, as a war mechanic, built weapons that killed people.

That left five people innocent.

_Only half the group had never tried to and/or ended someone’s life._

... And he didn’t count the blackened who killed Himiko.

Did they already have blood on their hands before committing the crime?

Who knows.

The courtroom was silent, the others slowly realizing the truth.

Miu was looking away. The guilt seemed to flow back to her. Perhaps a part of her knew how he was feeling.

Ryoma looked angry, but kept his emotions to himself. Now was probably not the time to lash out at Kaito, and he knew it.

Kirumi, Kiyo and Rantaro, even though they were not the most expressive, had hints of pity on their faces.

Tsumugi was staring at Kaito, a neutral look on her face. She didn’t look satisfied by the results, but she didn’t look annoyed either. How could she be so calm in a situation like this?

Angie was hard to read. Was she not caring about Keebo’s death? She was simply waiting for something to happen, but couldn’t bring herself to start the conversation.

And Kokichi... He looked more troubled about what was coming than the fact Kaito was indeed, the second blackened.

They all investigated Keebo’s death to know what Kokichi even had those last few days.

Was the truth even worth achieving? Was it worth putting a “killer” stamp on Kaito’s face?

Monokuma may have said he would have forced them to investigate Keebo’s death anyway, but they still chose to go along with it.

Shuichi had a horrible feeling.

“And now...” Monokuma broke the silence. “I have to complete my part of the deal!”

The others turned back to the bear- except Kaito, who was still looking at the ground.

Kokichi was even more afraid than Shuichi.

“Drum rolls for Kokichi’s condition, please!” the mascot yelled.

Before the remaining Monokubs could start the noise, Rantaro interrupted them. “Just tell us already.”

“Kids these days! No sense of humour!” Monokuma pouted. “Very well! In that case...”

“Kokichi did, indeed, have the despair disease, even though his symptoms differed from the others!”

Shuichi unconsciously held his breath.

“And... What were my symptoms...?” Kokichi hesitantly asked.

“Puhuhuhuhu! Well what would be more suited for you...”

_“... Than the reverse disease!”_

Shuichi raised an eyebrow. “The... Reverse disease?”

He glanced at the others. They were just as confused... And then his eyes landed on Rantaro. The medic’s face became as white as Kaito’s.

Does he know?

“... Oh no.” Rantaro muttered low enough to be heard only by Shuichi's musician ears and perhaps the two girls on his sides.

“It’s pretty simple actually!” Monokuma continued. “This disease will reverse your talent! So for the ultimate karma who’s very existence rewards good people and punishes the bad ones...”

_“An ultimate karma with the reverse disease will punish innocent people and reward the bad ones!”_

Shuichi could barely mutter “What does this have to do with anyth-”

Before he realized.

_Himiko._

Himiko was the one to care about Kokichi the most.

So much that she stayed around him almost the entire time he was sick.

So much that when she wasn’t at his side, she felt guilty for leaving him alone.

She never was afraid of his talent and the dangers around it.

She still helped him get through everything that happened in the game.

And when they found her dead this morning...

... She was unrecognizable.

Wounds covering her body, bones and joints broken, stabbed in all places, and a grotesque graffiti of angel wings behind her back painted with her own blood.

And all this torture inflicted while she was alive.

They were all wondering what she even did to deserve such a cruel fate...

... But the answer was right here. Right in front of their eyes.

Like a reversed wheel of fortune unable to stop spinning.

Like a blind judge unable to distinct the virtue from the vice.

Kokichi and the disease offered the astronomer a fate worse than death.

And he had no control over this.

_Karma rendered an unjust judgement and took the life of the one who deserved it the less._

...

Shuichi’s eyes slowly widened in horror.

The others felt as shocked and terrified as him as they realized the harsh truth.

Even Ryoma and Tsumugi who were the most stoic people of the group were appalled by the reveal.

First Kaede, and now this? Kokichi had finally started to accept his talent thanks to Himiko, and she perished because of it.

What did _Kokichi_ even do to deserve this?

Wasn’t being the cause of Kaede’s death enough for Monokuma?

“Haha... Hahahahahahah...”

The violinist’s eyes shifted to the small boy.

_He was hysterically laughing._

For what felt like an eternity, a delirious laughter filled the courtroom, dumbfounded eyes fixated on him.

“What did I even expect? It’s always my fault. It always has been. Whenever something bad happens it’s always me. Whenever someone suffers it’s always me. And if it’s not my fault well guess what? It’s still me somehow.”

The tone of his voice sent chills down Shuichi’s spine. It was like he already accepted it.

How used to this type of situation was he?

_How much blood did he have on his hands because of his talent?_

“Well! You got your answer now!” He outstretched his arms, a wide smile on his face. A joyful gesture not fitting a normal reaction at all. “If it’s karma that killed Himiko, then you have your blackened! It was about time I pay for every death I’m responsible for.”

Shuichi blinked. “What...?”

"It’s my fault she died, right? Then it’s only fair *I*get to be executed.” he continued.

In his voice wasn’t regret nor sadness.

It was madness. Tiredness. Dreadful acceptance.

A plea to end his life.

When he broke down last trial, it was already hard to look at.

But this was different.

They were all so convinced his condition would be a major clue to the case that they forgot why Monokuma even put them in this killing game.

It was to make inflict them despair.

And he was excelling at doing do.

Rantaro himself was starting to panic. “Hold on, we can’t just execute you, we don’t even know if you’re-”

“Who cares about that! Karma ended her life, end of the story! I’m the culprit you’re all searching for!” He yelled desperately.

“Even if ‘karma’ is part of this, we don’t even know who was the one to kill her. So unless _you_ killed her we have no reason to vote for you.” Kirumi countered.

“ _SHUT UP!_ You have no idea what you’re talking about! There is one person responsible for her death here, and it’s me!”

Kiyo tried to calm down the conflict. “I probably will never understand what you went through but we need to-”

“There’s nothing to understand! Himiko is dead because of me and this despair bullshit! _I am the blackened here!_ ”

“Then let’s settle this right now.” Tsumugi slammed her hands on her podium.

Shuichi snapped out of his shock. “What do you-”

“Monokuma, I have a question about the rules.” she asked.

Everyone turned to the prodigy.

“Who counts as the blackened in a case exactly?”

The robotic bear laughed, paws on his mouth.

“The blackened is the student who commits the killing. So no matter how much someone is indirectly responsible for someone’s death...”

_“... Only the person who does the final blow is the blackened!”_

Rantaro frowned. “The final blow...?”

“Or in the case of a poisoning, it’s the person who gave the substance to the victim who is the blackened!”

The courtroom went silent.

“... That settles it.” Tsumugi declared.

_No matter how much karma was part of the equation, Kokichi was not the blackened._

The boy looked beyond mad.

“That’s still on me! I’ve seen people die by my fault, Himiko is no exception!”

“Kokichi, please!” Rantaro yelled, surprising everyone.

He winced when Kokichi’s desperate eyes landed on his.

“It’s... Horrible. Even I have never seen such a horrible death before. And I’ve seen a lot of stuff over the years.”

“Then just vote for me already! I-”

“But.” he interrupted. “I refuse to believe an invisible concept such as karma was able to physically do anything to Himiko.”

“We still have a culprit to find. The real blackened.” Kirumi continued.

Angie looked up. “We didn’t talk about Himiko’s death that much, didn’t we?”

Shuichi took a deep breath. “I still... Have trouble realizing someone went that far in a crime...”

“I’m telling you I am the culprit! I am the reason Himiko died! I should count as the blackened!”

Kokichi was not giving up. 

Shuichi had trouble staying calm.

_This whole trial was heartbreaking._

"Kokichi, are you the one who drugged me and killed Himiko?” Rantaro strongly gripped his podium.

“No! But I should still count as the blackened!”

“You are not the blackened for this! We have to find the real culprit, Monokuma said so himself!”

“I know I’m responsible for this! Just stop it already!”

“No! We have a murder to solve, we need to do justice for Himiko!”

“No one needs to die other than me here! There’s only one person who deserves a punishment and it’s me!”

“Can’t you see that whoever did this did not have a state of mind that could be described as remotely sane???”

Rantaro yelled desperately.

Kokichi stopped.

“Rantaro...” Ryoma turned to him. “What do you mean by that?”

“The killer could have just stabbed her and leave and yet...” he explained. “... I think whoever did this had lost every little bit of sanity they had. Which is why my theory is...”

_“... That the killer had the despair disease and either never told any of us, or lied about their symptoms.”_

Shuichi didn’t even know why he didn’t think of it this way. It felt obvious, on second thought.

“And do you think you can rule out some suspects?” Kiyo asked.

Rantaro thought for a second. “The first one we can rule out is Kokichi. Since Monokuma himself told us the real symptoms, and he even defended me about the soporifics.”

The violinist could see Kokichi clenching his fists, gaze to the ground.

Miu raised an eyebrow. “Can’t we also say Tsumugi and Ryoma are innocent? The monokubs pretty much confirmed their symptoms!”

“That’s what I’m doubting.” Rantaro replied. “Do you really think the monokubs would tell us if someone lied about their own symptoms?”

“Are you suggesting we’re lying?” Tsumugi glared at him.

The medic wasn’t phased in the slightest. “Aren’t you the one suspecting me all the time? Or only _you_ are allowed to suspect other people?”

“Let’s not argue right now.” Kirumi interrupted them before things would go wrong.

Kiyo seemed to be pondering for a moment. “... Monokuma, I have a question about the disease.”

“Let’s see, what is your question?”

“Supposing the killer did have the despair disease. Do they remember their own crime?” he asked.

... If they didn’t, things would get really problematic.

“Excellent question! Even though it is tempting not to answer, I shall give you this detail!” the bear exclaimed.

“As much as a case where the murderer doesn’t remember their crime is interesting and has a lot of potential, for this case, if the killer did have the disease, they do remember their crime!”

“Then in that case we can rule out Tsumugi. She was the first one to tell us that she didn’t remember the last few days.” Kirumi explained. “And I don’t think Ryoma would have agreed to follow her and fake amnesia as well, if she was lying.”

“We can also rule out Ryoma in the process. He was with Rantaro and I for the first part of the investigation and told us the same.” Kiyo added.

“So we got Kokichi, Tsumugi and Ryoma out of the equation. Which is a start.” Rantaro concluded.

“However we can’t keep trying to rule out suspects like this.” Ryoma raised a hand. “If we don’t solve the murder as a whole we will get nowhere.”

Shuichi unconsciously nodded. “That’s right... I think that’s the best for now.”

_“We have to solve Himiko’s murder entirely.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... Don't relate to Kokichi. Please.


	21. Chapter 3: What is beyond humans’ control - Deadly life (part 6)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kokichi is convinced he is the blackened, but the group has to search for the real killer's identity now.
> 
> Also: Updated Deadly life part 3 because I made a mistake. My bad.

...

“Where did we even stop Himiko’s investigation?” Miu started.

“We established that I and the rest of the hospital team got drugged. We didn’t go that far in the investigation.” Rantaro replied.

“I guess we should try to put an order first.” Ryoma suggested. “We know this murder was premeditated, so we could get clues this way.”

Shuichi nodded. “The killer had to retrieve the soporifics to use them, right?”

Tsumugi pondered. “Of course it wouldn’t have been hard for Rantaro, but we need to explore all possibilities.”

The medic rolled his eyes. “Anyway, I was sleeping on the fourth floor the first night. I left the lab open so I would be quicker to retrieve something in case of emergency but now I realize how much of a mistake it was.”

Shuichi could barely hear Kokichi mutter “Wouldn’t be surprised if karma played a part in this.”

“Now isn’t the time to dwell on mistakes.” Kirumi said. “Your lab was open the entire night and a floor below you, so the culprit could have sneaked in at nighttime.”

“That doesn’t really help us after all...” Shuichi muttered.

“What about when the person put the poison in the plates?” Ryoma asked.

“We brought the plates between 7:00 PM and 7:30 PM.” Shuichi replied. “Although we’ll need some alibis for that.”

“Kirumi, when did you start making the meals?” Tsumugi turned to the mercenary.

“I would say I started around 6:00 PM.”

“I was in my lab until Kirumi called us to eat at 8:00 PM!” Angie exclaimed.

“But is there anyone to confirm it?” Rantaro raised an eyebrow.

She hummed. “I don’t think so...”

“Unfortunately I believe I do not have an alibi for after 6:00 PM.” Kiyo admitted.

“Me neither...” Kaito’s voice was low, but Shuichi could still hear it.

“I was preparing the meals, so I understand why I am a prime suspect.” Kirumi declared.

“Did you leave the room while you were cooking?” Tsumugi questioned.

“I did leave once or twice to ask others for their preference for yesterday evening’s meal.” she explained.

“To that I can testify.” Kiyo agreed.

“So someone could have sneaked in anytime...” Rantaro concluded.

“Besides, Miu and Shuichi were the ones to bring to bring the plates, but Shuichi did have time to do so when putting Rantaro’s meal in his lab.” Ryoma added.

The violinist winced at the mention of his name.

“Didn’t we already establish Rantaro’s plate wasn’t the only one to get drugged?” Tsumugi raised an eyebrow.

“So Shuichi and I can confirm each others’ alibis!” Miu exclaimed. “We were at the casino for the entire afternoon! And when we entered the dining hall Kirumi directly gave the plates to us for the hospital team! None of us would have time to put the product in it!”

“That raises a good point. We can exclude Shuichi and Miu from our suspects then.” Rantaro smiled at them.

Shuichi was relieved. He could see Miu faintly blush at Rantaro’s confirmation.

“What’s the suspect list now?” he asked.

“Let’s see.” Kiyo replied. “We can take off Miu and you because you two can confirm each others’ alibis.”

“We can also take off Kokichi, Tsumugi and I. She and I don’t remember anything. As for Kokichi, I doubt the killer would act like...” Ryoma trailed off.

Shuichi sometimes shot nervous glances at the small boy. He was truly unreadable.

“So the full suspect list is Angie, Kirumi, Rantaro, Kiyo and Kaito.” Tsumugi concluded.

The violinist could see the annoyance in Rantaro’s eyes.

“Didn’t we agree on investigating the murder as a whole?” Angie asked.

Ryoma nodded. “At least we’ll have more clues this way.”

So they were going to investigate after the killer drugged Rantaro...

~~Or after Rantaro drugged the others.~~

Shuichi brushed off that thought. There was no way Rantaro would do this, right...? Unless he caught the despair disease-

No. Now was not the time to think about that.

“My question is...” Miu pondered. “Why was Himiko outside after nighttime?”

“Himiko was usually out stargazing, right?” Angie replied. “Perhaps she was already out when the killer did it.”

“But why in the shrine of judgement of all places?”

“That’s right... The shrine of judgement was a cage withing this academy. You couldn’t see the sky properly from here.” Shuichi thought.

“Perhaps the killer dragged her here?” Kaito suggested.

“Himiko was usually stargazing next to the dorms. That’s pretty far away.” Kiyo countered.

“Besides there were no traces of blood whatsoever between the dorms and the shrine of judgement.” Kirumi added.

Shuichi started thinking. Why was she there?

“Perhaps...” He started. “Himiko saw the killer go to the shrine of judgement and followed them here?”

“So the killer must have been preparing a plan to kill someone, but when Himiko showed up they killed her instead?” Miu continued.

Shuichi noticed Kokichi frowning even more.

_Karma was terrifying._

“That’s plausible. But that must mean the target was someone else.” Tsumugi added.

“And it couldn’t have been Keebo for sure.” Ryoma noted.

“But how do we know who was the target?” Kirumi questioned.

“My guess would be that the killer sent a message to someone to meet them here.” Kiyo thought.

“But then who was it? That means they must have gone to the shrine of judgement and saw Himiko’s corpse, right?” Miu retorted.

Everyone glanced at each other, hoping to see someone say they were the target.

But no one did.

“So one of us is lying.” Tsumugi broke the silence.

“But why would they stay silent?” Angie pondered.

Then it clicked in Shuichi’s mind.

“What if... The target really _was_ Himiko?”

That would explain things better. She would have gone to the shrine of judgement by herself, and got killed here.

“As much as I hate this, this is the most plausible theory.” Rantaro affirmed.

"But I still don’t get it.” Ryoma frowned. “Why the shrine of judgement?”

Shuichi started thinking. Perhaps...

“... It was the furthest point from the dorms, right? Perhaps the killer didn’t want to take any risks by waking up someone.”

“I think...” Kiyo narrowed his eye. “It was also for symbolic value. To bewilder us. We would have had to go back to the shrine for the trial, they perhaps used shock as a way to confuse us.”

Shuichi winced. That was also plausible.

“When did the killer take the weapons anyway? Considering how many of them there are it would have been impossible to do it in one go.” Kaito hesitantly asked.

“That must have been between nighttime and the moment Himiko was killed. We would have noticed it otherwise. Especially me.” Kirumi replied.

“But still, there was a ton of weapons! That must have taken ages to mess with basically all the labs and bring the weapons to the shrine!” Miu exclaimed.

“Perhaps the killer used something to transport them?” Angie suggested.

_Think._

“Kaito... You remember Maki’s lab, right?” Shuichi turned to the biker, who perked up.

“Yeah... It was a huge mess with everything thrown into different places.”

“There was a roll of fabric on the ground that was cut clean... Perhaps the killer used a piece of fabric as a bag?”

Ryoma frowned. “And how would you know it wasn’t from when Maki was, you know. Alive?”

Shuichi winced.

“You’re saying the cut was clean?” Tsumugi asked.

He nodded. “Yes, cut with scissors, I think.”

“Then it’s not her.” she immediately replied. “Maki was tearing the fabric with her hands. She only used the scissors when she was using the patterns to cut it into shapes.”

Shuichi was surprised she remembered such a detail, but her help was definitely welcome.

So the killer drugged Rantaro, used a giant piece of fabric to bring weapons to the shrine of judgement, then after sending a message to Himiko, the girl went there and was killed.

“Perhaps it’s about time we talk about the weapons used.” Kiyo pointed out.

Shuichi put a finger on his chin. “From what I’ve gathered we have scissors from Maki’s lab, knives from Kirumi’s lab, darts from Kokichi’s lab, scalpels from Rantaro’s lab and various tools from Angie’s lab.”

“You’re forgetting one.” Kirumi added. “The needles.”

It’s true, they had found needles hidden in the flowers.

“There were also exploded bottles around.” Kiyo noted.

“Kirumi’s lab was a mess. The killer must have wanted some poison from her lab to use it.” Tsumugi explained.

“More than a mess.” Kirumi insisted. “The killer used the axe to get through places I locked myself.”

“Say, Kirumi...” Angie tilted her head to the side. “Even if your lab was a mess, you could have used an axe to make us think it wasn’t you.”

“But this is Kirumi’s lab, why would she destroy everything in it if she knew where the products were?” Shuichi frowned.

“Because _she_ was the only one who knew where the products were. If she didn’t mess it up, suspicion would fall on her instantly.”

That... Raised a good point. But Kirumi wasn’t the killer, right? He saw how even she was disgusted by the state of Himiko’s corpse. Was it... To throw them off?

“That is a possibility we cannot ignore.” Tsumugi looked at the annoyed mercenary. “After all, your job is to kill people without a trace, right? If you have the disease it could have turned this into something completely different.”

... If things continue to escalate there would be no going back.

“I can’t win, right?” she glared at the prodigy.

“Let’s not accuse people right now, we have a murder to solve.” Rantaro sighed.

“Anyway.” Ryoma changed the subject. “The killer brought poison to the crime scene and used it on Himiko with the needles.”

Rantaro frowned. “No... There’s something wrong with this.”

“Could you enlighten us on this?” Kiyo turned to the medic.

“Well... The cause of death is blood loss. Not poison.” he explained.

“That could have been a slow acting poison. She could have been poisoned but the killer finished the job before it could kill her.” Ryoma said.

“But then why even messing with Kirumi’s lab in the first place?” Miu waved a hand in confusion.

“Everything the killer did was to throw us off, I wouldn’t be surprised if the killer never used poison.” Kiyo countered.

“Kirumi, do you have slow acting poisons in your lab?” Kaito asked.

“I do not remember by heart every single poison in there, but there were some.” she answered.

“So it was slow acting poison! The killer just finished her before it could kill her!” Angie concluded.

“No... Now that I think about it, it was definitely not poison.” Rantaro frowned.

Shuichi was hesitant. “But you said yourself that there was a needle mark on Himiko’s body, doesn’t that mean something was used?”

“You said it yourself. _Something_ was used. Not poison.”

“Huh?”

The medic crossed his arms. “There’s one thing that proves it wasn’t poison, actually.”

_“Her eyes were not bloodshot.”_

Now that he thought about it, he was right.

“And does that really prove us it’s not poison?” Miu asked.

“I can confirm this.” Kirumi chimed in. “I think I know enough about it to say that bloodshot eyes is one of the main characteristics of strong poison, slow or quick acting.”

“Exactly.” Rantaro confirmed. “She didn’t have bloodshot eyes at all, so it must have been something else.”

“But... What if the killer never used any substance at all and messed with the labs to make us think they used something?” Angie suggested.

“There was still a needle mark in her neck.” Rantaro shook his head.

“I mean... What if that syringe didn’t have anything in it? the mark would be here still...” she continued.

“Doesn’t this seem strange to you?” Tsumugi fiddled with her hair. “I know Himiko isn't the strongest among us, but she would have tried to fight back and possibly hurt the killer.”

Shuichi started thinking. A reason why she wouldn’t fight back.

“Perhaps... The killer took her by surprise? Then she wouldn’t have been able to fight back because of it.”

Rantaro narrowed his eyes. “Still... The killer did inject her something, I’m sure of it.”

“But... Can we really be sure it’s not poison?” Kiyo asked.

Kirumi crossed her arms. “I’ve been thinking about it for a while but... If Himiko _didn’t_ receive poison, then that would explain this...”

Tsumugi raised an eyebrow. “And what do you mean exactly?”

“There were bottles on the floor of my lab. If the room was messed up that much with a part of the poison on the floor...”

_“... Then we can safely say the killer never cared about using them in the first place.”_

Shuichi’s eyes widened. “That’s it... But what was used, then?”

Kaito perked up. “Perhaps they used something from Rantaro’s lab, not Kirumi’s...”

“Huh? I thought Rantaro’s lab didn’t have anything lethal in it...” Miu was confused.

Shuichi instinctively looked at Kaito, and he did the same.

Rantaro closed his eyes and sighed. “... I lied.”

Tsumugi frowned. “You lied? Do you have an explanation for this?”

“I said there wasn’t anything dangerous in here for the same reason why Kirumi didn’t mention poison being in her lab.” he explained. “Since I asked you all to leave things to me I made sure none of you went through the products. But some can do damage.”

“If I may say...” Tsumugi’s gaze was ice cold. “... You’re looking more and more suspicious by the minute.”

Rantaro glared at her.

“You were with us- the ones infected by the despair disease. You know a lot about your products and how the human body works. Killing Himiko would have not been a problem for you.”

“Hey.” Ryoma interrupted. “We said we would solve the entire murder, not point out fingers at whoever is suspicious.”

Tsumugi glanced at the smaller man. “... Fine.”

Miu tried to get back to the conversation. “Where were we...?”

“I said that the product probably came from Rantaro’s lab...” Shuichi answered.

“What do you even have in your lab, Rantaro?” the prodigy asked.

“I have painkillers, paralyzing products and soporifics. The paralyzing products were missing, some soporifics were gone and the painkillers are all still here.” he answered.

Shuichi started thinking.

“The killer probably took Himiko by surprise with a needle full of paralyzing substance...”

“... In that case she couldn’t have done anything to fight back, right?” Kaito added.

“Those products only take seconds to act, so this is probably what happened.” Rantaro nodded.

“Himiko stepped in the shrine of judgement, then the killer went behind her and attacked first by planting the needle in her neck and paralyzing her.” Tsumugi concluded.

“I see...” Angie thought. “The killer must have used some type of curare then...”

Rantaro’s face blanched, his eyes widening.

“Angie...”

He turned to her.

_“How do you know what a curare is?”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I oop-


	22. Chapter 3: What is beyond humans’ control - Deadly life (part 7)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group gets closer and closer to the truth! But Angie knows more than she lets know...

...

“Huh?” the girl blinked.

“I said...” Rantaro gripped his podium. “How do you know what a curare is?”

Shuichi was confused. What’s a ‘curare’ anyway?

“Um... I think I heard it once but don’t remember who said it...” she replied, tapping her cheek.

“... That’s a lie and you know it.” Rantaro became more and more nervous. “I never mentioned anything about curares. I never even said the word, and I don’t think anyone here knows what it even means.”

He turned to the rest of them to see if he was right.

And he was, since everyone glanced at each other to see if anyone knew.

“I mean, I do know but...” Tsumugi pondered. “I don’t remember mentioning it, but I could be wrong, since the past few days have been erased from my memory.”

“Still...” Rantaro turned back to the craftswoman. “Curare is the scientific name for what I described as ‘paralyzing product’ so that everyone would understand.”

_“But you couldn’t have known that unless you read the label on the bottle.”_

“I... Think I do remember now! I did see it when I checked the shelves in your lab once because I was looking for painkillers! But that was even before the disease!” she joyfully replied.

This looked incredibly suspicious anyway. And Rantaro seemed very skeptic.

“... Supposing this is true...” he turned to the rest of them. “This is the first and last time I want someone rummaging through painkillers. I want to be here if any of you want some painkillers, since I know it’s easy to take the wrong doses.”

_... First time? Didn’t Kaito..._

No, now wasn’t the time.

He nodded. The rest of the group agreed as well.

“I still have trouble believing you, Angie.” Tsumugi narrowed her eyes.

Ryoma sighed. “We said we would solve the murder, then accuse people. However...”

He turned to the girl. “We still have a suspect list with some of you more suspicious than others, and that includes you, Angie.”

She joyfully nodded. “I’m not the killer~ But we can continue the trial if you wish to!”

Shuichi didn’t know her that much, but that still looked strange.

Kokichi seemed to have an eye on her, but he didn’t look mad at her... For some reason.

_What is he even thinking?_

“There’s something that has been bothering me ever since I- no. Since _we_ discovered it.” Kirumi glanced at the violinist.

Something they both discovered? Ah, is it...

“... You mean the missing plants in the shrine?” he perked up.

“The what now?” Miu was confused.

“Some bushes were missing in the shrine.” Kirumi explained. “We left it for a few minutes with Rantaro because Monokuma asked us to at the end of the investigation, and when we came back I’m positive they were replaced.”

Kiyo and Ryoma nodded to each other. “That’s what we noticed as well.”

“But what’s that supposed to mean?” Kaito frowned.

“Did any of you find the missing plants anyway?” Tsumugi asked the autopsy trio.

They glanced at each other to confirm that no, they didn’t.

“Does any of you have an idea on what they could have been used for?” Kiyo questioned.

Something they could have used the plants for...

The bushes, and not the flowers.

Perhaps for something that was worth taking off the bushes, yet not the flowers...

And for some reason the bushes disappeared without a trace.

It hit him.

“Did the killer... Burn them? That’s the only explanation I can find...” he suggested.

“Wouldn’t they have taken the flowers with it?” Kaito asked.

Tsumugi shook her head. “No. Flowers are not as flammable as bushes, so I can see where Shuichi comes from, and that’s the most plausible theory.”

“But to burn bushes? What’s the point?” Miu argued.

“My guess would be that they had something else to burn.” Kirumi said.

Something else to burn...

“What about the labels on the bottles? We didn’t find a single one of them in the shrine, but...” he trailed off. “Why would they burn the labels? We know which bottles are missing...”

“I think this has to do with which bottles we would find liquid around.” Rantaro answered. “So we couldn’t identify which ones were used then thrown, and which ones were thrown without being used.”

So this had to do with an already solved mystery.

“Perhaps there is something else we can add to the things they burned.” Kiyo declared. He turned to the medic. “Rantaro, you did the autopsy in its entirety, right?”

He hummed. “Yes, and I’ve given every information I found.”

_“Was there a trace of a letter Himiko may have received inviting her to the shrine?”_

Rantaro’s eyes widened in realization. “Now that I think about it, no. I didn’t find anything on her.”

“Then we can say that the letter burned with the labels and the bushes.” the therapist concluded.

“So the killer just used the bushes as a way to make fire?” Miu scratched her neck.

“Not just to make fire.” Tsumugi corrected. “To make a fire strong enough to burn both the letter and every single piece of label on the bottles.”

“Let’s not forget the fabric used as a bag.” Kirumi added.

“However there’s a huge contradiction with this entire theory.” Ryoma countered. “You see, I think I know enough by now considering how much time I spent in the warehouse and...”

_“There isn’t a single lighter in this academy.”_

Shuichi blinked. If there wasn’t any lighter, then there couldn’t have been any fire.

But that theory felt so right...

“You mean like, no way to burn stuff?” Kaito turned to him.

“Nope. Even the monomono machine doesn’t give anything like that, from what I’ve tested.”

Angie pondered. “That’s weird, I swear I have seen fire somewhere...”

She thought for a moment. “There were candles in the rooms of the fourth floor, right?”

That was... Right, actually. When they visited the rooms after they opened, and when they installed furniture for the ill ones.

“Yes, but we blew on them each night so the others could sleep.” Rantaro defended himself, knowing the accusations would be against him.

“Each night? What is that supposed to mean?” Tsumugi raised an eyebrow.

Shuichi forgot for a moment she didn’t remember the last few days.

“Monokuma relighted them each time, for some reason.” the medic replied.

“I remember waking up in a dark room this morning. They were extinguished.” Ryoma testified.

Tsumugi nodded. “I can confirm this.”

Shuichi barely heard Kokichi humming as he nodded, too.

"I went one last time in the rooms before actually eating my meal. You three asked me to turn off the lights, and so I did.” the medic explained.

He frowned. “I didn’t think much of it since you asked me the same the day before, but I should have guessed something was wrong.”

Shuichi could see Tsumugi glancing at Kokichi- the only one in the ill students group who remembered the last few days, to see if he reacted to a potential lie.

From his expression that wasn’t the case.

“But then how are you supposed to burn things without any sort of lighter?” Kaito questioned.

Either the theory was wrong, or they were missing something.

_Think._

"Perhaps there wasn’t any fire in the first place?” Kiyo pondered.

Wait, what if...

“Rantaro, didn’t you show us a burned wooden stake?”

Kirumi nodded. “I remember now. There was a partially burned wooden stake on the crime scene.”

“Which means there was a fire after all.” Rantaro confirmed.

“But where does that get us? The thing was partially burned, right? There were no trace of burning anywhere else!” Miu exclaimed.

“But there has to be a way this burn mark was made.” Tsumugi declared.

A way to make fire with a wooden stake...

It hit him.

There was only one person who could have been able to do so.

“Angie...” Shuichi hesitantly turned to her. “You know how to make fire with wood, right?”

The girl innocently tilted her head to the side. “Hm?”

“Yes. You told me about your experiences on your island and told me that was one of the basic things to learn as an artisan.” Kiyo agreed.

“Oh... Did I say that?” she put a finger on her cheek.

Kiyo looked nervous, yet confident in his voice. “Yes Angie. You did.”

All eyes were on her now. her podium emitted a red light and went forward.

“Angie... You’re the culprit aren’t you?” Shuichi narrowed his eyes at her.

Upon a quick glance, Kokichi was still unreadable. It was like he wasn’t even caring about the situation and paying close attention at the same time.

"...”

The girl was silent.

Everyone was waiting an answer.

“... I was in my lab yesterday until 8:00 PM. I never moved from there, actually~”

“Angie.” Rantaro stared at her. “We need an answer. You’re the only one who could have done this.”

“Answer my question then!~” she span around to turn to the medic. “Did any of you see me leaving my lab and temper with the meals?”

The others glanced at each other, hoping to find an answer.

But nobody said anything.

“See? If I did so, one of you would have noticed me. However, since we’re talking about ‘fire’...”

She turned back to Kirumi.

“You’re a mercenary, right? You should have plenty of firearms to help you in your lab~”

“I never use firearms." she countered. “I only use knives and poisons. Nothing in my lab could have done anything of the sort.”

“Can we be sure?” Kaito hesitantly asked.

“I’ve looked at your profiles, several times actually.” Tsumugi argued. “And I remember seeing on Kirumi’s profile that she dislikes firearms. I doubt Monokuma would come up with a lie to defend one of us.”

“Besides...” Ryoma added. “Firearms is only the name. Unless you had gasoline you couldn’t have created fire. And it would have been way too loud to be an effective method.”

Shuichi stared at the craftswoman, hands strongly gripping the podium. “You’re the only one, Angie.”

“I still don’t have the answer to my previous question~” she wasn’t phased at all.

“None of you saw me put soporifics in the meals. And everyone can make fire if they try, it just takes some time~”

“No one saw you, it’s true.” Tsumugi glared at her, one hand placed on her podium. “But you are the only one who could have committed the murder, and that’s all that matters.”

Shuichi thought about the day Angie’s lab opened. Angie had specifically said that she could use all the tools with great skill.

_That included the axe._

He felt a chill down his spine. Even though some of them were strong physically, it was an expert who used such a powerful tool on Himiko.

“It’s not like it matters anymore.” the prodigy continued. “Let’s just get to voting time already. The blackened is decided.”

_“No they’re not!!!”_

Kokichi slammed his hands on the table, startling Shuichi.

“I told you all! There is one blackened here and it’s me!” he put a hand on his chest, as if it would strengthen his argument.

“Kokichi-”

“Even if- Even if any of you really killed Himiko there is one person here who deserves to die, it’s me!” he yelled.

Convincing Kokichi was going to be a hard task.

“Besides, there’s not enough proof to tell it’s Angie! She never left her lab yesterday, you guys must have seen it on your monopads!”

Shuichi blinked. This was how he knew she was in her lab.

_But what if..._

“I’m the only blackened here! Just vote for me already!”

The violinist took a deep breath.

He has to convince him.

That he isn’t the blackened and Angie is.

It’s almost over. He has to.

_[Argument armament start!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll8ElUkIXBY) _

  


“She isn’t the blackened, I am!”

“There’s one person

who deserves punishment,

it’s me!”

_“I am the blackened!”_

“You don’t have enough proof

she is the blackened!”

“She doesn’t deserve to be punished!” 

_“Just vote for me already!”_

“It’s still my karma

that is responsible

for Himiko’s death!”

“The killer is just a small part!”

_“I am the culprit here!”_

“I’m responsible for her death!”

“I am the one you

have to execute!”

“You made so many theories incriminating her...”

_“But Angie never left her lab, you should have seen it on your monopads!”_

**_Mono pads tracking function_ **

“The monopads...” Shuichi muttered.

“The monopads don’t track people, they track the other monopads!” he exclaimed. 

Tsumugi bit her nail. “ Angie just left it in her lab so she could form an alibi...”

Kiyo looked at his monopad. “It’s never stated in the rules that you have to keep the monopad on you at all times, so she must have done this.”

“Satisfied now?” Rantaro stared at Angie.

“...”

There was a long silence.

"I think we should go through this one more time...” Shuichi glanced at everyone.

_[-Closing argument-](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYdImXwmee8) _

_The plan started the night the motive was introduced. The ill students were placed in the rooms on the fourth floor, with Rantaro keeping an eye on them._

_The culprit already had their plan prepared. So the first night, when Rantaro was sleeping on the fourth floor..._

_They went to his lab to look for soporifics. That was a major part of their plan._

_Rantaro didn’t notice them missing since he never had the time to check because of his role as the medic for the ill ones._

_The next day, the culprit waited until Kirumi started preparing dinner for the hospital team. And when she was out to ask the others their preference..._

_They went in and drugged the meals._

-A part of him knew the reverse karma was probably the reason why Angie managed to get to do this without being caught, but refrained from mentioning it.-

_Of course, neither Miu, Kirumi nor I noticed anything, so we gave the plates without questioning anything._

_Rantaro had asked us not to go visit too often because there was a risk we would get the disease, so no one noticed he fell unconscious in the stairs because of the soporifics in his meal._

_After nighttime started, the culprit slipped a letter to Himiko inviting her to the shrine of judgement at a certain time, probably between 12 AM and 1 AM._

_They began preparing the weapons for their crime._

_The culprit cut off some fabric from Maki’s lab to make a bag and transport the weapons._

_That included tools from their lab, darts from Kokichi’s lab, scissors from Maki’s lab, and finally, knives and poison from Kirumi’s lab._

_Actually, the poisons were not necessary, since their plan was not to poison Himiko. They only made us think it was used to confuse us about their method._

_And so, they completely destroyed Kirumi’s lab to make us think they desperately wanted poison._

_There was one last thing they needed to retrieve from a lab._

_Paralyzing products to use on Himiko so she wouldn’t fight back. They stole syringes as well so they could use it._

_Before taking the weapons to the shrine, there was one last thing to do._

_The culprit dragged Rantaro’s unconscious body to his lab, and retrieved a chair from Kirumi’s lab to make us think Rantaro was never drugged in the first place._

_And so, they could finally make their way to the shrine._

_Once Himiko arrived, the killer took her by surprise and drugged her with the paralyzing product so she wouldn’t fight back._

_She was already not very strong, but that was important to our culprit._

_I do not know how exactly things went from there... The killer... Used all the weapons they had taken on Himiko. They also drew angel wings behind the victim’s back, as shock value, I suppose._

_The culprit now needed to dispose of the evidence. That included the labels on the bottles, the letter they sent to the victim, and the fabric they used as a bag._

_Since there was no way to create fire in the academy, the killer had to use their own skills._

_They snatched the bushes from the shrine, and used them as a base for the fire._

_Since our culprit is the ultimate craftswoman, creating a fire was no big deal. They simply used wooden stakes._

_Once the culprit was done with burning the evidence, they planted one of the stakes in Himiko’s chest, which was ironically the final evidence to guess the identity of our culprit._

_After that they left the horrifying scene for us to see the next day._

_And the culprit..._

_... Is you, Angie Yonaga, the ultimate craftswoman!_

“...”

The girl stayed silent for a minute... Then smiled.

“Yep! You are correct!”

Her eyes looked devoid of regret.

_“I am Himiko’s killer!”_

The joy in her voice... It was terrifying. How could she be so happy about this?

Did she have the disease like Rantaro suspected?

Kokichi was speechless, staring at Angie, with pure horror in his eyes.

Himiko was finally getting her justice but...

This whole situation was atrocious.

“Let’s just end this already.” Rantaro spat, disgust written all over his face.

“Allllllrgihty then! It’s... Voting time!” Monokuma cheered.

Shuichi’s heart skipped a beat when he glanced at Kokichi. Was he going to-

Fortunately, he saw the boy looking down, but still pressing an icon on his tablet.

The violinist turned back to his podium, and pressed Angie’s icon.

“Now then, it seems the voting has finished. Let’s see the result.” Monokuma declared.

The giant screen turned on and everyone’s icons appeared.

9 votes for Angie Yonaga, and 1 vote for Kokichi Ouma.

Shuichi could barely hear Angie mutter “Hm? Weird, I voted for myself...”

Upon a quick glance, it was easy to guess who voted for Kokichi.

“Who’ll be chosen as the blackened? Will you make the right choice or the dreadfully wrong one!?” Monokuma continued his usual speech.

**VERDICT**

The wheel turned for a few seconds before slowing down… And landing on Angie.

The coin machine on the screen made its distinct jingle, and coins rolled out of it.

Angie was unreadable.

“Wow! Seriously!? You’re correct again! A-Amazing! This is the third correct verdict in a row!”

_“The blackened who killed Himiko Yumeno is Angie Yonaga, the Ultimate craftswoman!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If any of you thought I would pull out a Mikan and make Rantaro the culprit, I'm disappointed.
> 
> Also, for the Argument Armament artwork: The white flowers visible are lotuses (symbol of Karma in Asian traditions) and white chrysanthemums (used in funerals).


	23. Chapter 3: What is beyond humans’ control - Deadly life (part 8)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angie is actually the culprit! The end of the trial comes... But is the ending really satisfying?

...

Shuichi stared at the screen for who knows how long.

He noticed Rantaro approaching Angie, looking furious. He thought the medic was going to harm her but...

He slammed his hand on her forehead.

“... I knew it.”

The girl rubbed her forehead and had now the trace of Rantaro’s palm on it.

“So she had the disease after all?” Kirumi narrowed her eyes at the craftswoman.

The despair disease...

A disease that is capable of twisting someone’s mind to the point of committing such atrocities.

A disease that made her kill Himiko in such a horrible way.

She wasn’t even willing to harm anyone, right?

... Right...?

...

Shuichi’s eyes widened in realization.

Why didn’t he realize sooner?

-

_Shuichi didn’t know if asking her about her island was a good idea, but it was worth a shot. “Hey… I know this is probably a touchy subject for you and I won’t force you to talk but… How was it back there, sculpting?”_

_But when he looked at her, her eyes were empty. She had stopped in her tracks. “… I wish I could slaughter Atua with my own hands for all the shit he put all of us priestesses through. Just cutting him like Monokuma cut Maki with the scissors and watch his-”_

_The violinist couldn’t believe what she was saying. He wanted to put his hands on her shoulders, but refrained from doing so. “Angie! I-”_

_He paused. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have talked about this.”_

-

Did she...

Did she have the disease from the very beginning?

Did she kill Himiko so she could take revenge on those who hurt her?

All of this could have been avoided if he thought this through.

The signs were right before his eyes and he ignored them entirely.

It felt like she murdered Himiko in front of him and he didn’t even flinch.

He glanced at Kiyo, who seemed to feel the same guilt.

Even after talking to her about her past, he hadn’t judged her suspicious.

_Was she hiding the disease that well?_

“Angie...” Kokichi muttered. “Why...?”

She stared at him with a deadpan expression... Then giggled.

“Silly Kokichi! It should be obvious by the crime scene~”

The lavender eyed boy froze. “I still... Don’t get-”

_“It was for fun of course!~”_

Shuichi saw everyone’s expression growing both worried and confused.

“... Huh?”

She approached Kokichi’s face at a high speed and gripped his hoodie with both of her hands.

“She was so fun to play with! The moment she told me she had a fragile constitution I knew she was the one!”

Shuichi frowned. “How... How would that make her-”

_“Do you have any idea how much I wanted to see blood flood to the ground and painting the world in crimson red?”_

She was only a few centimeters from the small boy’s face, staring at him with wide, joyful yet empty eyes.

“It was so easy to make her go to the shrine! She is so naive, you didn’t notice this?”

“I just had to write that I found a secret passageway outside for us to use! Just that she couldn’t tell the others! And she completely bought it!”

Shuichi could only watch in horror Angie describing her train of thoughts, a strong grip on the powerless boy.

“Have you ever tried to paralyze someone? It took exactly 4 seconds for her to fall to the ground!”

The violinist could only stare at her terrifying eyes.

“First I bashed her head against the ground. Then I twisted her ankles and her fingers.”

“Then I sliced her body into pieces to watch her sweet blood drip to the ground... Did you know she was hemophiliac?”

“When I saw how weak she was becoming, I took the axe to see how much blood would flood before dying... I had so much blood on me afterwards you know...”

She strengthened even more her grip, her forehead touching Kokichi’s and starring at his very own soul.

“Have you ever tried?! You keep repeating your karma killed so many, but have you ever tried enjoying the sight of mutilated bodies?! Of blood flowing beneath your feet?”

_“THIS IS TRULY WONDERF-”_

_*slap!*_

Angie fell to the ground, Kirumi towering above her, pure disgust on her face. “... Shut up. Just shut up.”

The craftswoman rubbed her cheek. The slap in her face was violent, but she didn’t seem to care.

“Hahahahah... Kirumi you’re pretty hypocritical, you know? You’re a mercenary, don’t you enjoy the sight of blood, too?”

“... Don’t compare me to you. We’re nothing alike.”

The girl stood up. “Blood... Hehehehehehe....”

She hysterically laughed. A laugh so similar to Kokichi’s earlier, yet so different.

Her laugh was a different kind of madness.

She grasped her head, nails digging her skull so much that the violinist wondered if she wasn’t doing it on purpose to make herself bleed.

“Blood, blood, blood! I could see it flowing all day, from each and every one of you! I could slice all of you into pieces! This disease truly opened my eyes to the art of slaughter! Himiko was my first and last piece after all!”

Shuichi wanted to puke.

Kokichi, who had felt horror when she was describing him the murder, was now staring at the ground with empty eyes.

“I’m guessing you have the bloodlust disease?” Tsumugi kept her distance.

Angie looked at her shaking hands “Hehehehehehehehe... What else would it be?”

Rantaro glared at Monokuma.

“So you had no intention of getting out after all?” Kiyo asked.

“Not really~ It was just for the amusement.” Angie replied like nothing was wrong.

“Monokuma...” the medic clenched his fists. “Was her disease truly the bloodlust disease?”

After a short silence, the bear giggled.

“Puhuhuhuhu... Absolutely! Angie Yonaga’s disease was the bloodlust disease!”

Shuichi could barely mutter “So the real Angie was long gone...”

Silence fell upon the group.

The only audible noise was Angie’s non-ending giggling as she kept mumbling the word “blood” over and over.

Everyone wanted to get out of here, but no one could bring themselves to say anything because they knew what was coming.

Himiko’s death was horrible. They all had stared at the dead body for what felt like an eternity this morning.

They all had wanted justice for the astronomer. And yet...

Did they really want to send Angie to her death...?

No- was it really Angie in front of them, expressing the pleasure she felt by killing her?

It certainly didn’t feel like it.

Shuichi hesitantly glanced at everyone.

Kaito was looking away, an expression of both guilt and denial on his face. Was he still thinking about Keebo?

Kiyo had the same expression as the biker. Did he choose to ignore Angie’s unusual behavior? 

Tsumugi and Ryoma were unreadable. Although Ryoma seemed to keep an eye on Rantaro, the lack of emotion on the prodigy’s face was disturbing.

Kirumi was making sure Angie didn’t try anything.

Rantaro was looking away. Shuichi couldn’t even see his face.

Miu felt desolated. Her best friend accidentally killed someone, and everyone else was unable to accept the truth.

They all wondered how an illness could push someone to commit murder...

_... And the answer was right in front of their eyes from the very beginning._

No one had anticipated Monokuma to pull out such a move.

And they should have.

As for Kokichi...

He was not responding. Like his spirit was somewhere far away, leaving a body devoid of soul standing in the courtroom.

“Heheheheheheheh... My execution will be wonderful too...” Angie perked up, glancing at Monokuma.

Shuichi snapped out of his panic, his heart racing like crazy. “W-Wait-”

“Looks like you’re already prepared. Now then, let’s get started...”

The bear grinned.

“It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for-Punishment time!”

Angie continued giggling. “Heheheheheh... Maki and Tenko’s executions were so wonderful... Just thinking about it makes me so excited!”

She looked at Kokichi, arms wrapped around herself. “I’ve heard legends that killers have their blood tainted in a gorgeous ebony color...”

_"...I wonder what your blood looks like.”_

This sent a chill down Shuichi’s spine.

It was just like Rantaro said earlier.

Angie wasn’t even remotely sane.

Not anymore.

“I’ve prepared a special punishment for the Ultimate Craftswoman, Angie Yonaga!” Monokuma exclaimed.

“I can’t wait to see this... I can’t wait any longer...” Angie muttered.

“Let’s give it everything we’ve got! It’s... PUNISHMENT TIME!”

_“THIS IS THE BEST I’VE EVER FELT IN ALL ETERNITY!!”_

The bear took his toy hammer and pressed the red button.

**GAME OVER**

Angie has been found guilty.

Time for the punishment!

[ _**(BGM)** _ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ce77tDjVAqU)

Angie found herself standing on grass, on what looked like a tropical island, the sun setting in the distance.

However, the scenery around looked fake. The waves were painted wood, and the sun itself was fake too.

Hundreds of black and white small dolls appeared from the ‘sea’, circling Angie.

The girl waited for them to attack, a wide grin on her face.

However, they didn’t. Instead, they formed a path leading to the top of the hill, to a gigantic tree, lianas hanging from the branches.

As an earthquake shook the island, Angie realized it was slowly sinking.

Her only choice was to follow the path the dolls created.

**Emissary from Heaven and Hell  
Ultimate craftswoman Angie Yonaga’s execution: Executed**

She ran and followed the path traced in front of her, panting as running on an upward slope started to feel exhausting.

She noticed the dolls were not even trying to survive. Every time she ran past one, it would face the fake sea and try to form a shield to make it stop flooding the stage.

She reached the top plateau, the giant tree towering on the small island.

On a closer look, the tree was fake too, and just as she noticed this, the wooden panels that served as a door lowered, revealing the center of the tree- or rather, an elevator, judging from the ropes on the sides.

Just as she stepped on it, three of the dolls joined her as guards, and the elevator started going up.

The interior was dark, aside from the candles each doll had.

_The travel was long_ , she realized.

Out of boredom, she kicked one of the dolls to see how it would react.

Just as the poor doll fell, the two others reached for ropes and quickly attached her hands.

She couldn’t move, and the third one linked her feet with its rope close enough so she couldn’t try to do anything, but could still walk.

The elevator brutally stopped, and the door opened to reveal the tree’s top branches.

And just as she exited the elevator, a hoard of dolls shot her with darts.

Her eyes widened and after a few seconds, she stumbled on her feet out of dizziness.

When her conscience went back, she looked around in confusion, like wondering where she was.

And as Shuichi watched her eyes on the screen, it hit him.

_The darts were the antidote for the disease, and she was now out of it._

She turned to the dolls, panicking and trying to resonate with them, but two of them planted something on her back and her head.

_Fake wings and a wooden halo._

The dolls forced her to walk on one of the branches where she could see the horizon.

When she reached the end of the plank, looking down was an ocean of fake waves and giant stone spikes with them.

A doll forced her to jump.

And tears flowing down her face, she did.

As she was falling, the wings and the halo fell off, and her body finally crashed onto one of the spikes, impaling her.

_Angie Yonaga, the ultimate craftswoman, was dead._

Shuichi kept staring in horror at the screen that played the execution.

The real Angie still existed but...

... She died not knowing what happened to her. She died not knowing why she was executed.

He looked away, closing his eyes.

What was Monokuma gaining from this? What was he gaining from those killings? 

What was the use of those motives? Was it really entertainment?

What about the mastermind? Were they enjoying this? Were they truly enjoying their despair?

_What did they want from them? What had they done to deserve this?_

What was the point of putting them through a disease? Of reversing Kokichi’s karma? of making Angie a bloodthirsty killer?

He didn’t know.

_... He didn’t know._

The rest of them kept starring at the screen.

Shuichi heard footsteps over the white noise in his head.

Kokichi was leaving without a word.

Kiyo turned to him. “Wait-”

“I’m fine.” he coldly responded.

Shuichi gulped. “But are you-”

_“I said I’m fine.”_

His gaze was cold and empty. He didn’t even bother completely facing him.

_“Himiko is dead. We got it by now.”  
_

_“Everyone dies at some point, and her death was sooner than I expected.”  
_

_“I’m used to people dying, I don’t need anyone to tell me how I should feel.”  
_

_“It’s a killing game after all. People die. Big deal.”_

_“I was a fool to think anyone would be an exception to the case.”_

As he approached the exit Miu took a step forward but stopped immediately.

Then it was Kaito’s turn to leave without a word.

This time Miu didn’t stay silent.

“Kaito wait-”

She reached her hand towards him but he slapped it away.

_“... Stop trying to be everyone’s mom. It’s annoying. I’m not your damn kid.”_

She stepped away, visibly troubled.

Miu starred at the ground, defeated, as the biker walked away.

Kiyo felt sorry for her. “Let’s just... Rest for now. Everyone is tired and we shouldn’t start fighting in this state.”

Rantaro was the first to move towards the exit. He was clearly furious about the entire trial.

Shuichi just managed to get a glimpse of his face. He didn’t look at anyone and just left the courtroom like Kokichi and Kaito.

The others followed shortly after.

He wanted to say encouraging words but...

They never came.

Even Kiyo was unable to say anything. Or perhaps it was because he didn’t think it was the time to cause another outburst in the group.

Shuichi approached Miu, who had her arms crossed and didn’t even look forward.

“Miu... I’m sure Kaito didn’t mean this...” he muttered.

“No... He’s right.” she mumbled. “I should stop. It’s weird.”

She fastened her pace before he could argue.

They finally reached the dorms and Shuichi muttered a good night, to which the remaining students responded quietly.

He let himself fall onto the bed, unable to think more about it.

...

He could only hope for the...

...

No.

Was there any hope at all?

There was surely a mastermind secretly laughing about their misery.

Someone enjoyed their situation.

And they were going to suffer even more.

There wasn’t any hope at all.

They were already in hell.

\--

_“...”  
_

_“I wish things would have gone differently.”  
_

_“But I can’t go back now.”  
_

_“And... I have our promise to fulfill.”  
_

_“I know this is neither your fault nor mine but...”  
_

_“I’m sorry.”  
_

_“...”  
_

_“I’ll fulfill our promise no matter what.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Imagine wondering whether or not putting a huge red flag at the beginning of a chapter is a good idea, doing it anyway and no one pays attention to it
> 
> That's my biggest achievement not gonna lie
> 
> Also for those who follow this since I posted it here:  
> \- I take around a week to write a "daily life" part.  
> \- I take less time to write a "deadly life" part. Between 2-4 days if I'm productive.


	24. Chapter 4: Dance, dance, hanged puppets - Daily life (part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angie got executed for slaughtering Himiko... And no one seems to take the trial well.

Day 13 since the beginning of the game.

8:00 AM.

Shuichi woke up to the morning announcement.

He had a lot of trouble sleeping. Which was also the case after the other trials.

They felt like nightmares in themselves, but the aftermath was always hard.

The violinist didn’t even feel like leaving his room.

What was the point?

With every murder came other motives, and other murders.

He wanted to keep hoping for the best but... That felt useless.

He wanted to get out of here. To see his uncle again. His cousin. Even the obnoxious clients he would play for.

_Anything to get out of here._

After staring at the ceiling for who knows how long, he finally decided to get up. To take a shower and eat something.

Now that he thought about it, did Kirumi and Miu prepare breakfast? He wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t. Especially Miu.

She probably felt really bad after hearing Kaito’s words after the trial.

_“... Stop trying to be everyone’s mom. It’s annoying. I’m not your damn kid.”_

Shuichi knew good it felt for her to take care of others and to feel like a mother again.

He should tell her that it’s more than okay to care for others. That she doesn’t have to feel guilty about it.

He also mentally noted to tell Kaito that he should apologize to her.

Speaking of Kaito, what was that about yesterday?

_“... Supposing this is true...” he turned to the rest of them. “This is the first and last time I want someone rummaging through painkillers. I want to be here if any of you want some painkillers, since I know it’s easy to take the wrong doses.”_

Just a few days ago he and Kaito had gone to the medic’s lab to get painkillers, and he specifically said he told Rantaro about it.

Even when they were searching through the lab during the investigation...

_“That’s not the solution everyone likes, but keeping secrets is more useful than you would think.”_

_Although he tried to hide it, Kaito flinched. Was he hiding something?_

Was it about his health? He even noticed him limping the day the two were hanging out.

But was it really worth asking? Shuichi was worried about him, but perhaps he should wait until things calmed down before questioning him.

He shook his head. For now, let’s just focus on getting out of this room.

After a quick shower, he stumbled out of the dorm.

No one was out. Were they still in their rooms or was he the only one still here?

He stopped thinking about it and left the dorms.

He didn’t see anyone on his way.

However when he reached the main building...

... He came across an almost completely exploded Monophanie, her mechanical insides visible.

To each trial, a monokub died with the blackened, and this trial was not an exception.

“How tragic! My sweet Monophanie died in such a horrible way...”

Shuichi flinched at the ‘horrible way’.

_No, Himiko and Angie died a horrible way, not your damn kid._

He ignored the bear and continued his way towards the dining hall. He also ignored the yells about how insensitive he was.

Before he could reach the dining hall, he could hear voices. Were people arguing in there?

After opening the door, he noticed Kirumi, Miu, and Kiyo seemingly discussing an important matter.

Kirumi immediately turned to the violinist.

"What is going on?" He asked.

Kiyo hesitated at first. "I know this sounds odd but..." He paused.

"Have you taken a knife from the kitchen last night?"

Shuichi blinked. "Huh? No I didn't..."

Miu put her face in her palms, elbows on the table. "It couldn't have disappeared like that, did someone take it?"

The boy could only glance at the others in confusion. "Is... There a knife missing?"

The mercenary nodded. "Yes, one of the huge knives is not here anymore. Monokuma has replaced everything so someone must have taken it."

They already had a trial yesterday, was someone acting that soon? Why?

_Whywhywhywhywhy-_

“We should check on everyone just to make sure no one is hurt.” Kirumi suggested.

Shuichi snapped out of his thoughts and nodded.

But just as he was about to join the other three, Kirumi turned to him. “Take this.”

She threw him a tangerine that he caught easily.

“At least eat something.”

“... Thank you.”

They headed to the dorms, worry growing inside them. From what Shuichi managed to see on their faces, none of them managed to sleep well, especially Miu.

She looked more tired than worried which was... Unsettling considering her attitude the last few days.

The usual Miu would have been worried and determined to make sure the others were okay.

After all, he didn’t miss her bringing breakfast to Kokichi the day after the second trial.

Once they reached the building, they decided to separate.

Miu glanced at Kaito’s room, but quickly shook her head.

“Do we tell them about the missing knife?” she asked.

Kiyo shook his head. “For now we just tell them that it’s to check on them to see if they’re okay.”

The street artist nodded.

“So, who checks on who?” Kirumi asked.

Miu immediately headed towards the girls’ rooms. “... I’ll be checking on Tsumugi.” she mumbled.

Shuichi took a look at the doors.

_Now it was getting difficult to distinguish which rooms were occupied and which were not._

He approached Rantaro’s door, but before knocking, he overheard Kirumi and Kiyo’s conversation.

He decided to pretend to think about what to say and listen in on the two. Judging by the volume of their voices, it was clearly not about which rooms to check.

“Why did you lie about not knowing who took the knife?” Kiyo muttered under his breath.

“... I’m not lying about anything.” she raised an eyebrow.

“I’m a therapist. I may have failed my judgment on Angie, but I know you’re hiding something.”

“... Check Kokichi’s room. I heard sobbing last night. I don’t know if it has anything to do with it but you should check on him.” she left to approach Ryoma’s room.

_... What was that?_

He knocked on Rantaro’s door. After a few seconds he heard a muffled noise from behind the door, then the door opening.

“... Shuichi?”

The medic still had dark circles under his eyes from the last few days. He was wearing his usual shirt and pants. He looked like he was getting ready, but hadn’t woken up long ago.

“Oh, um... You doing okay?”

Dammit. He should have thought about something.

“Yeah, I just continued sleeping a bit after the morning announcement. My bad. Did something happen?” he replied.

“Oh, not at all! We’re just checking since we were only four in the dining hall.” he lied.

“Huh. Just give me a few minutes, okay?” he smiled faintly. It was a fake smile, but it looked like he tried.

Shuichi nodded and closed the door.

When he turned back, he saw Tsumugi and Ryoma talking to Kirumi and Miu.

At least they were okay.

Kiyo was still in front of Kokichi’s door. His attempts at getting him out of his room seemed unsuccessful.

“Miu, perhaps you should check on Kaito.” Tsumugi noted.

The girl stiffened at the remark. “Oh um...”

Shuichi felt bad. She probably didn’t feel like talking to him for now. “I’ll do it.”

Miu blinked and gave him a weak smile.

He approached the biker’s room and knocked.

...

No response.

He knocked again.

“ _WHAT??_ ” he faintly heard from behind the door.

Thanks to his good hearing, Shuichi could sense that Kaito was yelling from his bed.

He wasn’t sure if Kaito would hear him back, however.

So he knocked again. _Big mistake._

“Fuck off, I’m trying to sleep here!” he shouted, the noise muffled by a pillow.

Shuichi took a deep breath.

“I-It’s Shuichi, I’m checking to see if you’re okay...”

He heard movement and... Kaito falling from his bed.

After two long minutes of muffled noise and struggle(?), the biker finally slightly opened his door so only his head could be seen.

His hair was messy and that’s when he finally noticed how his natural hair was different. It almost reached his shoulders, but the natural look felt strange.

It didn’t take a genius to guess that he was not dressed up in the slightest.

“What.” he grunted.

“Um... We’re just checking on everyone to see if they’re o-”

“I’m fine, as you can see. I just want to sleep.” his tone was passive-aggressive. Very much not the usual Kaito.

He immediately closed the door.

Shuichi sighed and turned to the others in the building. Rantaro was out and Kiyo had probably given up on Kokichi, for now.

After going down the stairs, the others noticed Kaito’s absence.

“Huh? Kaito’s not coming?” Rantaro asked.

“He... Doesn’t want to be disturbed, to say the least.” he admitted.

The others glanced at each other.

“... We should at least get breakfast.” Ryoma suggested.

“Agreed.” Rantaro nodded.

The group went back to the dining hall, Shuichi eating the tangerine Kirumi gave him earlier.

He hoped Kokichi and Kaito were okay anyway.

He turned to Kiyo to ask him about the former. “Hey... Is Kokichi okay? Since you were the one checking on him...”

The therapist winced a little. “He didn’t open the door but he told me he wanted to rest for now.”

Shuichi looked down. He was not taking Himiko’s death well, whether he admitted it or not.

“However I cannot let him continue self-isolating, I’ll have to find a solution, and fast.”

He sighed. “Which is also the case for Kaito I presume?”

Shuichi looked away. “Pretty much... I think.”

The breakfast was eaten in silence. It wasn’t an organized one since Miu and Kirumi didn’t prepare anything. And no one complained.

After all the last trial was exhausting for everyone.

From the ill ones trying to understand the events, to the ones directly affected.

Even though some of them were good at pretending everything was fine, it was clear that no one left the courtroom indifferent.

Even Rantaro, who was always the one taking the leader position, felt powerless over the situation.

_Perhaps it had something to do with being drugged with his products._

Just as they finished, Monokuma appeared in the room.

“Oh my! I’m sure you guys were thinking about me again! You must love me!”

Kiyo sighed. “No, we weren’t. Go away.”

“Never mind that... You guys are probably eager for it, right? My prize that is.”

He started sweating from pleasure. “Right? You guys can’t live without getting a prize right now, right?”

“That’s what I thought, so I brought a prize!”

They heard the jingle they all resented now.

“Rise and shine, ursine!”

Now it was just Monotaro and Monodam.

After what felt like an eternity of the annoying shenanigans from the two, they finally decided to give the ‘prizes’.

“Ta-da! The legendary Levistone, the priceless Octobrush, and...”

Monodam took a bunch of what looked like cards.

“CARD-KEYS. THEY-WILL-BE-IMPORTANT-FOR-THE-LIFE-AT-THE-ACADEMY.”

“Which just so happen to be part of the motive!” the red bear exclaimed.

Each of them received their card key. They all looked grey and bland, with the symbol of the academy printed in the corner. The only thing differentiating them from each other was the names written with each talent.

“A part of the motive...?” Shuichi muttered.

“Yep! Those mysterious card keys are part of your next motive, which is not ready yet! Make sure you don’t lose them!”

Rantaro frowned. “And what if we do?”

“Puhuhuhuhu! Glad you asked!” the black and white bear laughed.

Shuichi heard his monopad vibrating.

“I added a new rule concerning the card keys! Make sure you read them!”

A new rule indeed appeared.

  * _#16: If a Sanzu key gets destroyed, the owner shall be executed._



“A Sanzu key?” Kiyo frowned.

“Well, since you guys obliterated the motive videos, I made a rule this time! Bears learn from their mistakes, you know!” He raised his paws in the air.

The others stared at their card key.

_Shuichi Saihara  
Ultimate violinist  
-  
Sanzu key_

“Also, I forgot to mention this, but I’ve hidden another flashback light somewhere. I wonder what memories you’ll uncover next! Happy hunting!”

The bears left.

Sanzu key... What did it mean? Why were they important enough to be executed if they were destroyed? It sounded like they were part of a grander scheme.

For now, they had to see which labs opened... And search for the flashback light: The only connexion they had with the outside world.

“Should we perhaps give the card keys to Kaito and Kokichi?” Tsumugi took both of the cards.

“I’ll do it. Don’t worry about me.” Kiyo volunteered.

Rantaro weakly smiled. “Thank you.”

He turned to the rest of the group. “For now let’s just do as usual. We split up and search for what’s new.”

The others agreed.

“How do we split up?” Shuichi asked.

“I suggest we go into three groups.” Kirumi raised a hand. “Since there’s a higher chance both objects will be used in the main building, two groups go there, and one group searches outside.”

Rantaro nodded. “It sounds like a solid plan. Does anyone object?”

No responses.

Kirumi and Shuichi decided to investigate the Octobrush.

Ryoma and Tsumugi took the Levistone.

Rantaro requested to be with Miu since he had to talk to her. They were the group checking outside.

As for Kiyo, he was going to give the card keys to Kokichi and Kaito.

The searches began.

Kirumi and Shuichi ended up using the brush rather quickly since it opened the fifth floor.

The floor in itself had a strange atmosphere. Almost from a fantasy universe.

_Now that he thought about it, Kaede probably would have been inspired by these large corridors._

There was a lab next to the stairs. The doors looked rusty but really heavy and solid. The aspect almost reminded Shuichi of the warehouse.

But after inspection, the door was locked with no possible way to open it.

“It looks like something I could work in, but I guess it’s not for today, huh.”

Ryoma came from behind, putting a hand on the door.

“Too bad.”

So Ryoma’s lab was on this floor, but not opened. Strange.

The group decided to head to the other parts of the floor.

The corridors were stunning. Who even built this academy?

They came across a door that seemed unlocked for once. It looked both fancy and casual.

After coming inside the lab, they starred at the cozy interior. A warm ambiance that looked like you could have a nice hot chocolate in. It felt relaxing. There were a few bookshelves on the sides, a fireplace, a desk with a chair and a sofa. It almost looked like...

_... A therapist’s room._

It was definitely Kiyo’s lab.

Tsumugi approached a bookshelf and grabbed a random book. “Freudian psychology... Interesting. I will have to borrow books from here at some point.”

Shuichi noticed a faint grin on her face. It was rare to see her genuinely smile.

“Tsumugi, we have another room to explore. We’ll check back later.” Ryoma called her from outside.

The two left Kirumi and Shuichi.

Shuichi looked through the drawers. There were empty notebooks waiting to be filled.

“I know this is a bit ironic considering the place we’re in but...” Kirumi brushed some dust off the sofa.

"Yesterday’s trial was rough. Even I have to admit I felt sick looking at Himiko. Are you handling the situation well?”

That was... Unexpected.

“Um... It could be better but it could be worse, I guess...” his gaze shifted to nothing in particular.

She hummed. “I see.”

The mercenary approached the exit. “... Remember to seek out help if you need to. Kiyo is qualified for this, but anyone is fine. Perhaps not me since I’m bad at comforting others.”

He didn’t expect Kirumi to care but a part of him was getting worried.

Did she herself have trouble with reaching out for help? Or is she considering herself not worth helping because of her past?

“You too, Kirumi.”

She quietly nodded and left the room.

Tsumugi and Ryoma had gone to the room next to the lab. And after entering they discovered...

A computer room?

That’s what it looked like at least.

There were chairs on the sides, and what looked like a giant cubic machine in the middle. There was a huge contrast between the dreamlike ambiance of the floor and the futuristic look of this room.

What could this computer even be used for?

“We’ve inspected this giant thing through and through, and we didn’t find anything. It looks like a piece is missing for it to function.” Ryoma explained.

Shuichi frowned. “So this thing is useless?”

Tsumugi approached the two. “Pretty much.” 

There was nothing left to look at, and yet they hadn’t used the stone. That must mean something was outside.

Just as they left the room and started walking through the corridor, Miu and Rantaro appeared.

Did Miu look... Happier? She looked more refreshed than this morning. Rantaro must have said something to cheer her up.

“Hey there. We were looking for you guys.” Rantaro waved at them.

“We found the use for the stone!” Miu exclaimed.

“I figured as much.” Tsumugi said. “Where is it?”

The medic took out his monopad and pointed at a part of the map, near the shrine of judgment. “There’s a black cube with a hole the size of the stone in it. There’s no building around but I think it will work like Gonta’s lab.”

Shuichi hummed. “How did it even work anyway? One day it wasn’t there and the next it appeared.”

Tsumugi sighed. “I do not know, unfortunately. Perhaps we’ll finally see the mechanisms.”

The group went to the spot Miu and Rantaro pointed out, and Ryoma placed the stone. It levitated, span for a moment then crashed onto the block once again, but this time a blue light flowed through it like the roots of a tree.

The earth shook for some time, and a building suddenly appeared from the ground.

From the looks of it, it felt like a garage.

Unlike some other labs, it had more of a steampunk look than a modern look. Gears were decorating the walls, as well as wheels on the side of the building.

From Shuichi’s guess, it was Kaito’s lab. Unfortunately, the biker was not with them to see this.

Tsumugi was the first to move, directly heading to the door without questioning anything.

“Hold on, perhaps we should wait for Kaito since it’s his lab...” Shuichi stopped the prodigy.

She briefly glanced at him. “For now he locked himself in his room. Perhaps the flashback light is in there. We don’t have time to waste.”

Before he could say anything, Tsumugi opened the door.

In there were dismantled motorcycles as well as barrels of oil and multiple toolboxes.

However, on the other side was a bar. It felt like one of those underground bars you could see in movies, where gangs would assemble and talk about their next move.

At least it was in a better state than Kokichi’s lab. There were a few tables, with chairs and sofas around. Even some small shot glasses.

_Was Kaito an underage drinker?_

He brushed off the thought and approached the various motors.

Without something to attach them to, they were pretty useless. Perhaps Kaito could do something with them?

After looking around, they left the lab.

On their way to the main building, they came across Kiyo, who had the flashback light in hand.

“Oh, you found it?” Shuichi asked.

“Yes, it was near the dormitories.” he replied.

“What about Kaito and Kokichi? They should join us for the flashback light.” Kirumi questioned.

“I told them to come as soon as they could since we would be waiting for them in the dining hall.” he declared.

The others nodded and made their way there.

Shuichi approached Miu quietly. “You look happier. Did Rantaro tell you something?”

She almost jumped at the remark. “It’s- um...”

Shuichi raised an eyebrow. Even though he wouldn’t admit it out loud, Miu and Rantaro’s relationship was interesting to watch evolve.

“No, he just told me that I shouldn’t give up on taking care of others and Kaito probably didn’t mean what he said... That even though it sounded silly, treating people like family had a great impact on them. So I think I’ll continue being the mom here.” she explained with a chuckle, slightly blushing.

Shuichi smiled. At least she could go back to her mom habits. But he noticed a tiny bit of disappointment on her face.

“You look disturbed anyway... Did something happen?”

She glanced away for a second, looking embarrassed.

“I didn’t know he was aromantiiiiic...” she planted her face in her palms, the embarrassment still showing.

Shuichi giggled and tapped her back. “It’s alright, it’s alright. It’s not like he hates you right?”

“No but I feel dumb now... I didn’t know what rejection felt like until now.” she mumbled.

The violinist quietly chuckled so the others wouldn’t notice. He knew Rantaro wouldn't return her feelings but didn’t dare to tell her.

“Oh and...” she put her hand in one of her pockets and slapped an object onto his palm, and he closed his hand immediately. “I know you saw me take it so I’m giving it to you. You’ll probably need it more than me.”

Shuichi glanced at the object. It was the love key she had bought at the casino. “Why giving it to me?”

“It doesn’t feel right for me to use it. So knock yourself out if you have the hots for the bookworm or the femme fatale. Or one of the guys if you swing that way.” she winked at him. 

... _What is that supposed to mean??_

He shoved the key in his pocket.

“But...” she muttered. “He was acting strange. Like he was only pretending to care.”

Shuichi narrowed his eyes, looking at Rantaro talking to Ryoma peacefully. “Are you sure?”

“Perhaps it’s just my imagination.” she sighed.

They reached the dining hall. To their surprise, someone was already there.

It was Kokichi, the hood on his head as usual and his head in his arms, staring at the void.

The dark circles under his eyes were bigger than Rantaro’s, which was worrying.

He thought back at what Kirumi said to Kiyo before the latter could check on Kokichi.

_“... Check Kokichi’s room. I heard sobbing last night. I don’t know if it has anything to do with it but you should check on him.”_

But the girls’ rooms were not close enough to the boys’ for something to be heard from a boy’s room to a girl’s. That must mean she had seen something.

Was it why she told him to seek out help if he needed it?

He could ask her, but that would mean he would have to admit he listened in on their conversation. So perhaps it is not a good idea.

... Now that he thought about it, she had a bigger heart than she let know.

Miu looked at Kokichi, but he didn’t seem interested in a conversation at all. Like he just left his room not to make them wait but will go back to his room without a word after that.

“It’s nice to see you up, it’s a good start.” Kiyo smiled at him.

The boy just hummed and went back to a half-asleep state.

The therapist discretely gestured to them that they should stay silent for now.

Now they just had to wait for Kaito.

After a good ten minutes, just as Shuichi was about to suggest that they should go check on him, the door opened, revealing the biker.

Even after using probably a liter of hair gel, his hair was messier than usual, tie hastily put on and... That’s just when the violinist realized he was probably putting eyeliner before.

Miu, glanced at him, a hint of worry on her face that she wanted to repress.

Tsumugi stood up, reaching for the flashback light. “Is everyone ready?”

_“What’s the point?”_

Everyone turned to Kokichi. “Huh?”

“What’s the point of recovering memories? We’re dead to the rest of humanity anyway. We might as well die here like... Like nothing.” he muttered.

“... Say whatever you like, but I’m not wasting an opportunity to learn more about what’s happening. We need that to piece it all together.” Tsumugi argued.

“The question is: Are they really safe to use? We all know what happened to Keebo. Who says it doesn’t have side effects on us as well.” Ryoma asked.

“Keebo’s a damn robot. We know that’s why he completely got screwed.” Kaito rolled his eyes.

“Didn’t we agree that your maintenance mistake was the fatal blow?” Tsumugi raised an eyebrow.

“It’s not my fault if those fucking flashlights screwed his program!” the biker approached her, clearly mad.

“It doesn’t change the truth and you know that.”

“You fucking-” he grabbed Tsumugi by the collar.

“Let’s not fight now.” Kiyo interrupted before things heated up. “Kaito put Tsumugi back down and Tsumugi, don’t cause unnecessary conflict. Please.”

Kaito glared at the therapist before putting the prodigy down. “... Fine.”

Tsumugi fixed her collar and bow.

Rantaro took the flashback light. “I think if it had any physical side effects on us we would have seen it by now.”

The others glanced at each other to see if anyone objected to the use of it.

It seemed as though Kokichi gave up on convincing them not to use it.

After one last collective glance, the medic activated the flashback light.

The memories all flashed back at once.

The meteorites, people claiming that humanity deserved damnation...

Shuichi stumbled on his feet.

“The meteorites...” he mumbled.

“The meteorites- I was hearing about them non-stop!” Miu exclaimed.

“Some of the buildings where I lived were destroyed. There was a constant panic here.” Kiyo frowned.

Tsumugi put a finger on her chin. “Researchers were claiming that it was the same phenomenon from millions of years ago and that our species would become extinct.”

Kaito clenched his fists. “And those fuckers claiming that we deserved it...”

Kirumi nodded. “I remember getting more and more requests from those people... But I never accepted any of them.”

“Hold on, the what?” Rantaro blinked.

“Shuichi raised an eyebrow. “You don’t remember? People were in the streets claiming that humanity deserved to die...”

“Well, some people don’t live in cities here.” Ryoma glared at him. “Some were busy somewhere else working their asses off to make sure their clique stayed alive.”

Ah... He forgot about Rantaro and Ryoma being soldiers. Those groups were in the streets, so it’s understandable they never heard about them.

“Wait, meteorites? But we would have seen them from here! Everything looks fine!” Miu changed the subject.

“It is possible that they overestimated them and humanity is still alive?” Rantaro suggested.

Tsumugi shook her head. “No. I was working with researchers on the phenomenon. The meteorites would have impacted all Earth, creating a heavy atmosphere and destroying all life on this planet, and even if we somehow survived the meteorites we would die anyway because of the lack of food, breathable air, and all resources necessary for us to live.”

Shuichi didn’t quite follow.

“... In other words, to me, the most plausible theory is that we’re in a very strong bunker underground and the sky is actually made of screens to simulate day and night.”

In a bunker? That felt unreal.

Kiyo put a finger on his chin. “Could this group claiming that we deserve damnation be responsible for our situation?”

Shuichi tried to think. “But why would they make us go through a killing game? And why us?”

“What I want to know is what happened to that so-called ‘project to save the world from meteorites’?” Kaito put his hands on the table.

That’s right... It was...

The gofer project.

“I vaguely heard from it. Just that it failed.” Ryoma put his hands in his pockets.

“Hold on, what?” Miu turned to him.

“That’s what I’ve also heard.” Kirumi explained. “I’ve heard that it failed, but I can’t seem to remember what it even was.”

Kiyo put a hand on the table. “Let’s recap all we know.”

“We were part of some ultimate hunt, where some people were after us. We even erased our memories because of it.”

“Then we remembered the funerals, and that to humanity, we were officially dead, that either we faked them or the people who captured us faked them.”

“And now we remembered about the meteorites and a group wanted humanity to die.”

Tsumugi paced around. “To me, the group wanting us dead is the one who created the ultimate hunt, and after capturing us, faked our funerals. I would even dare to say...” She stopped.

_“That the leader of this group is the mastermind behind the killing game, and is watching us in this very moment, controlling Monokuma.”_

The mastermind... Wanted them to kill each other? He thought it was by pure pleasure, but it was to eradicate them? What was the point?

Did the person behind this whole movement get pleasure from watching them suffer?

He didn’t know. That felt like too much information at once.

Tsumugi glared at Kirumi. “Say, you claim that you never accepted requests from those people, but you also claim to have nothing to go back to outside. It sounds pretty suspicious to me.”

Kirumi’s gaze was still as cold as ice. “I’m specialized in quick and painless deaths. Besides, I work alone.”

“Now isn’t the time to fight.” Kiyo interrupted a fight once again.

Kokichi stood up and left. “... I’m going back to my room.”

Just as Kaito started doing the same, Miu stopped him. “Wait-”

“I don’t know what you want, because there’s nothing to say, Miu.”

She approached him, just centimeters from his face. “I’m not letting another person isolate himself because of this entire game.”

“And what does it give you? Good conscience? Or you want recognition from others?”

“And what do _you_ gain from self-isolating??”

“Don’t try to say you understand anything from me because you don’t!”

“I know more than anyone else how you feel, I tried to kill you for fuck’s sake!”

“I didn’t fucking kill Keebo! It was an accident!”

“That’s why you don’t need to act like this!”

“I told you yesterday, stop trying to babysit us like we’re k-”

A slap echoed across the room.

Miu had just hit Kaito in the face.

The biker reached for his cheek, reddening from the hit, his eyes wide from the shock.

“... You’re nothing like the biker I admired for so long. The Kaito Momota I admired gave money to children in hospitals, won every race he competed in with passion and hard work, even with _that_ in the way. He cared for his gang like a family and rejected offers of sponsorship from anything other than charity.”

“The one standing in front of me is yelling at everyone to protect his own ego. And right now I’m feeling bad over one single thing.”

_“It’s that in reality, you are nothing like the Kaito Momota I used to look up to as a hero.”_

There was a moment of silence that felt like an eternity.

Shuichi could see hints of tears in the corner of Miu’s eyes.

She left the dining hall without a word.

Kaito left shortly after in another direction, still recovering from the shock. Shuichi could faintly see defeat in his eyes, even though it was mostly hidden by anger.

The others glanced at each other, trying to apprehend what just happened.

Tsumugi approached the door. “... I’ll be doing researches in my lab. Please don’t disrupt me unless it’s urgent.”

The others left one by one.

Rantaro claimed he wanted to talk to Ryoma outside.

Kiyo wanted some time to think alone in his lab.

That just left Kirumi and Shuichi.

The two looked at each other.

“Do you... Plan on doing something?” the violinist asked.

She thought for a moment. “I don’t know. I’ll keep exploring, I think.”

“Is it okay if I go with you?” Shuichi hesitantly asked. “To be honest I don’t think I want to be left alone with my thoughts for now.”

She stared at him for a second. “Sure. If you wish to.”

The two went to the fifth floor to explore in detail.

Shuichi noticed how thorough she was in her research, almost like she expected a hidden button to be here somewhere.

He decided to observe the details of the stained glass. The cathedral atmosphere felt unsettling, yet relaxing. It was strange.

The monokuma statues were the oddest ones. This whole academy felt like Monokuma was the one who built it.

Perhaps looking for hidden traps and passages was useless.

That’s what Kirumi must have felt as well since she went back to him.

“I don’t think anything is going to help us here. But there’s one place I want to check in this building.”

Shuichi blinked. “Huh?”

“Follow me.”

The violinist felt uneasy but decided to trust her.

The two went to the library.

Kirumi, with no hesitation at all, activated the button to make the bookshelf in front of the hidden door move.

“What are you-”

She glanced at the panel and the card reader. With a swift hand movement under her dress, she grabbed a knife. Did she have weapons hidden on herself??

“I’m tempted to destroy the panel, but I don’t know if it will either block the door completely or open it.”

Shuichi raised his hands. “P-Perhaps there’s a less risky solution? I mean what if Monokuma notices, there’s a possibility he will execute you...”

She sighed. “Besides, even if it blocks the door, I don’t think this is the only way to enter. But perhaps it isn’t in the main building. It would look too easy.”

Shuichi pondered. “But what if they wanted to put it in an easy to access location? They just need to know where it is and how to hide it.”

The mercenary nodded. “That’s also a possibility. My instinct is telling me that it’s not on this floor. There’s a thin line between easy and too easy.”

“Then perhaps the first floor?” Shuichi suggested.

“We could try.”

The two walked up the stairs. Shuichi turned his monopad on.

“Let’s see... I think we go way too often to the dining hall for a secret passageway to be here.” he theorized.

“Agreed. I don’t think it’s in a lab either. That would be strange.” she replied.

Shuichi looked up and stared at the hallway. “I know this sounds odd but what about the restrooms?”

Kirumi raised an eyebrow. “... I never exactly searched through here. But we could give it a try.”

The two approached the doors.

“Should we split up since we’re... You know...” Shuichi muttered.

The mercenary looked at him unimpressed. “Don’t take this personally, but I don’t trust somebody claiming something without anyone else to confirm it. Especially in this killing game.”

She stepped in the boys’ bathroom.

There was no use in stopping her, so they might as well search through it.

After five minutes of handling the mirrors, going through the closet, the restrooms, and even moving the closet, nothing came from this.

So the two went to the girls' bathrooms. Same process, and yet...

Still nothing.

The two gave up on searching through this room.

Since lunchtime was coming soon, Kirumi went to the kitchen to prepare the meals. However, she wanted some time to think, alone.

Shuichi, in the meantime, decided to check on anyone. _Just anyone._

Miu was in her lab. Perhaps he could try to see if she was doing okay after she argued with Kaito.

After he reached the lab, he knocked on the door.

... No response.

He stepped in anyway.

She was tagging a huge canvas tapped on a wall with black and dark hues from turquoise to purple. This didn’t look like a concrete painting, more like something abstract. Or perhaps it just wasn’t finished.

“Hey...” she turned around at his call.

“Oh, hey.”

He took a look at the wall, then back to her. “You feeling okay? After... This morning...”

She stayed silent, eyes on her work.

“... He hasn’t been himself recently. I know that. But if giving him a piece of my mind wasn’t enough, then perhaps I was right.”

She is obviously talking about Kaito.

“Somehow... I think you got through him. Maybe just a little, but still.”

Miu placed a finger on the paint to see if it dried yet, then sighed.

“That’s what I want to believe. I know he isn’t a selfish prick I just...”

She paused.

“He just needs someone to snap him back to reality.”

Shuichi nodded. “I think... He needs time as well.”

Miu approached the other part of her lab- where she was making her own paint.

“I don’t care how much time he takes. I just want him to be back to his usual self.”

Shuichi frowned. “But... Don’t you think it was a little harsh? You still slapped him pretty hard...”

She stopped in her tracks. “... I’ll have to apologize too.”

After a few minutes, she came back with four paint sprays, each labeled using a black marker.

“Turquoise”, “Sky”, “Royal” and “Purple”.

She shook one of them and started spraying the wall, a brighter hue of purple appearing.

Shuichi sat down to look at Miu working for a while.

If she was painting a concrete thing, then it certainly didn’t look like it.

But that didn’t matter. Perhaps all she wanted was an abstract canvas of colors. At least the gradient was nice.

After she was done with the bright colors, she put back the spray on the ground and placed her hands on her hips. “Now I just have to way for it to be dry so I can continue.”

However, before she could say anything else, Rantaro came through the door.

“Hey there. Lunch is prepared. We're waiting for you two.”

After washing their hands, they went to the dining hall.

Everyone was already there aside from Kaito and Kokichi, who were probably still in their rooms.

However, Tsumugi was also absent. From what Kirumi said, she asked for her lunch to be brought to her lab since she was deep into her research, dozens of books stacked on her desks and she was aggressively writing on the blackboards of her lab.

The prodigy was never that deep into her research, was she? On second thought, she didn’t have much time to enjoy her lab after it opened because of the despair disease.

They ate in silence, no one really wanted to talk after this morning’s events.

Shuichi finally noticed what Miu meant by ‘Rantaro faking his smile’. He also remembered how silent he was after the flashback light.

_What was going on with him?_

After lunch, Shuichi approached Rantaro. “Hey, you free this afternoon?”

He scratched his neck, glancing to the side. “Sorry, I kinda promised Ryoma to go to the casino with him. Perhaps another time?”

Miu was right. It was hard to spot, but he was definitely faking a smile.

“No, it’s alright, have fun!”

He hoped his fake smile was convincing.

Shuichi decided to follow Miu back to her lab.

She was preparing a stepladder, wearing a belt with a small bucket of white paint attached to it.

“Oh, you here again?” she turned her heels to him.

“I don’t have much to do, so might as well watch you paint but...” he turned to the canvas. “What... Exactly are you drawing?”

She put her feet on the stepladder and started climbing.

“You’ll see soon enough.”

She took out a small paintbrush in her right hand and a paper on the left. Wasn’t the brush from Angie’s lab?

After a couple of minutes, he finally realized.

_She was painting a night sky._

It took her a huge amount of time to cover the whole canvas but watching her paint was relaxing.

They engaged conversations from time to time. Her biggest regret was not having her signature hoodie. A custom made black one with fluorescent markings similar to her boots on the sleeves, and a white fluorescent firefly on the back.

The world didn’t know her as ‘Miu Iruma’, but as ‘The firefly of the city’. her actual name and intentions were unknown to other people. She was just a prodigious artist whose only known info was her gender and the color of her eyes.

It felt nice to know the artist behind those paintings as a person.

She also drew a few planets and a bright, white star.

The whole artwork was wonderful.

By the time she was done, it was around 6 PM.

There was still time before dinner. Miu left to help Kirumi prepare the meals.

~~After all, last time she left Kirumi alone in the kitchen someone ended up dying.~~

Looking at his monopad, he saw Kiyo leaving the dorms to go to the main building. Perhaps he could hang out with him for a while.

After joining him, the two went to the therapist’s lab. He was satisfied with it, saying that the atmosphere was perfect to talk to people. Especially during those times.

The violinist sat on the sofa. It was comfortable.

“You look troubled, Shuichi. Is there something wrong?” he sat at his desk.

_Now it looked like he was his patient._

“Huh? Nothing, really.” he lied.

... He was not buying it.

“You heard our conversation with Kirumi this morning, didn’t you?”

Touché.

“Ah... Yes I did...” Shuichi admitted.

He took out a notebook from his pocket.

“Do you... Know what’s going on with Kokichi?” the violinist hesitantly asked.

He stopped going through the pages. “... I tried to talk to him during the afternoon and even this morning. However, he refuses to speak about his issues.”

Kiyo closed the notebook and approached the bookshelves. “I do have an idea of what’s going on, though.”

Shuichi perked up. “Really?”

He nodded, taking one of the books. “From his attitude, his way of thinking, and how he acted during the trials, I would say the symptoms he is showing are those of a person with PTSD.”

He blinked. “PT... What?”

“Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD for short. It is often seen in people who experienced traumatic events. The symptoms vary from a person to the other, but there’s a high chance Kokichi has experienced something traumatic in the past. However, I do not know the extent of it.” the therapist explained.

“But please refrain from telling anyone about what I just told you. This should only be a matter between Kokichi and me unless he wishes to talk to you guys about it. I explained to you only so you wouldn’t try to do anything risky. Mental illnesses should not be taken lightly, especially when you do not know how much it affects the person.” he added.

Shuichi nodded. “Understood.”

The two talked about more cheerful stuff for a while.

At some point, Kirumi knocked on the door to tell them that dinner was ready.

When Kiyo asked her if Kaito and Kokichi were there, she explained that she brought them the meals already, for lunch earlier and dinner.

Kokichi was in his room, but surprisingly, Kaito spent the entire day in his lab.

As for Tsumugi, she finally left hers.

The dinner was less silent than lunch, which was a good thing.

This day hadn’t been that exhausting, but everyone still went to their rooms anyway to rest.

Shuichi preferred to stay outside for a while. To take a walk before going to bed.

After going around for some time he went back to his room.

But a small object caught his attention.

A small folded piece of paper on the floor.

He grabbed it and unfolded it.

...

He didn’t understand a single thing written on the paper.

The violinist went back to his room to examine it, just in case someone walks out and notices him reading a suspicious piece of paper.

After making sure he locked the door, he sat on his bed.

-. --- - .... .. -. --. / -- .- -.- . ... / ... . -. ... .   
.. / .... .- - . / - .... .. ... 

Was that morse code? It certainly looked like it.

However, he didn’t know how to read it. Not in the slightest.

_Damn it._

He put his ear on the door to make sure no one was roaming around.

He folded back the paper and left his room to put it back where it was. If anyone found the paper in his room for whatever reason, that could be bad.

Shuichi went back to his room with unanswered questions and worry about the next motive.

Could he even hope for the best? He didn’t know.

He fell asleep. Hopefully, he will sleep better this time.

\--

_“...”  
_

_“The next few days are gonna be painful to watch.”  
_

_“But that’s the price to pay for the grand finale that I’m preparing.”_

_“...”  
_

_“This whole motive is going to be a huge gamble.”  
_

_“... And I’m going all in.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not the type to beg for comments but if no one talks about the 37 moments worth commenting about I'm gonna fucking cry
> 
> Also I might have been on steroids while writing this lol I never write daily life parts that fast
> 
> Lab locations  
> -  
> Korekiyo: Replaces Shuichi’s lab.  
> Kaito: Replaces Miu’s lab  
> Computer room: Replaces Rantaro’s lab.


	25. Chapter 4: Dance, dance, hanged puppets - Daily life (part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few labs opened, but no one seems to get over the last trial. The motive is still looming over them, though...

Day 14 since the beginning of the game.

7:30 AM.

Shuichi woke up earlier than expected.

Not because he gave up on sleeping. He simply didn't feel like going back to sleep.

He rubbed his eyes and glanced at the grey card on the table, in the middle of the room.

The ‘Sanzu key’ as Monokuma called it.

What was he even planning?

The violinist took a shower, trying to forget about those worries for a while.

But he couldn’t.

Monokuma’s motive always came the day after the new labs opened. This time they had a part of the motive, but the bear specified that the whole thing was not ready yet.

_What did that even mean?_

After his usual routine, he left his room. Surprisingly, Kirumi was leaning against a pillar, and Miu was laying on the ground, head resting on her arms, staring at the ceiling.

Ryoma was also there, fidgeting with his Sanzu key.

The others turned to Shuichi.

“G’morning. Breakfast canceled, we stay here.” the street artist said with a hint of sarcasm.

He blinked. “What’s... Happening?”

Kirumi shrugged. “No one knows. The dormitories’ door is locked, so we can’t go out. We’re locked here.”

... What? Was that the motive? Being quarantined in their rooms? That sounded like a bad joke.

“We tried calling Monokuma and even the monokubs and no one came.” Ryoma explained.

That sounded fishy. Extremely fishy.

They could only wait.

Rantaro, Kiyo, and Tsumugi came out of their rooms one by one. The situation had to be explained each time.

...

8:00 AM.

The morning announcement rang, but the message was different.

“All students are required to go out of their rooms, this is a direct order from the principal of the academy!”

Did Monokuma want them all at once? Usually, when an announcement was made they were all supposed to go to the gym. Why the dormitories this time?

Speaking of the devil, the bear and his cubs appeared before them.

“My, my! It’s as though almost everyone is here!” he cackled. “Only Mr. grumps and Mr. gloomy are missing!”

Shuichi flinched at the nicknames.

The two cubs started their shenanigans that Shuichi didn’t even bother listening to.

The only emotion he could feel when the monokubs appeared was a pure annoyance. Not even hatred. Pure annoyance.

He couldn’t even bother being mad at them. It just felt like each time they visited them, his only desire was to see them disappear forever.

Minutes felt like hours, Shuichi silently praying for Kaito and Kokichi to just come out from their room already so the green and red bears would shut up.

Kaito was the first to come out, surprisingly. his appearance was less messy than yesterday.

Shuichi noticed him glancing at Miu, the latter avoiding his gaze.

He muttered a quiet “Hey.” as he came down the stairs. The biker immediately separated himself from the group to lean against a pillar.

After another couple of minutes waiting for Kokichi, the boy opened his door, stumbling out of his room. He didn't seem to have slept well.

“Next time, do not come late to the principal’s announcement! I’ve waited way too long for you two to come out!” he raised his paws in the air, voice a bit too loud for the two who had woken up minutes ago.

“So, what do you want from us this time?” Rantaro was straight to the point.

“Sheesh, stop being so eager for the motive, I can’t even prepare the surprise!”

So it _was_ the motive.

“Anyway, let me present you the next motive, starting from today to the moment someone dies...”

_“... The Sanzu garden!”_

That raised more questions than answered them.

“And what is the ‘Sanzu garden’?” Ryoma raised an eyebrow.

“To put it simply, this entire academy was renovated just for you guys!”

Something that involved the whole academy?

“Before explaining the motive, perhaps I should tell you a story passed through generations... Have any of you heard the legend of the Sanzu river?”

Tsumugi put a finger on her chin. “From what I’ve heard, the Sanzu River is a mythological river of the Buddhist religion. Souls joining the afterlife must pass the river by one of the three crossing points, depending on the actions they made in their life, also known as ‘karma’.”

Kokichi visibly flinched at the explanation.

“Great! I may also add that a cost is required to cross the river. Six mon to be specific.” the bear explained.

“In other words, this academy has been transformed into a great garden! And the cost of living for another day must be paid! However, the cost isn’t six mon like the legends told since we live in a modern society with better ways to pay your lovely headmaster!”

Kaito raised an eyebrow, arms crossed. “So what, someone must kill within 24 hours so the others can live?”

“Better! That’s where your Sanzu keys play their part! They serve as bank cards to pay your fee to live for the next 24 hours!”

“Wh- bank cards??” Miu exclaimed, taking out the card.

“There are two locks with your icons hidden in the academy, specific to each of you. You will have to activate the locks each day with your card keys to continue living. One lock must be activated between 8 AM and 3 PM, and the other between 3 PM and 10 PM. It doesn’t matter in which order you activate the locks.” the bear explained as everyone listened carefully.

“Also, do not even try to activate another person’s lock! This will not work in the slightest! And the locks’ placements will be different each day! They can be in the labs, common rooms, and even outside!”

Rantaro, who had sat down, joined his hands. “Let me get this straight. We have to use cards on locks two times a day and look around the academy to find them?”

“Where’s the catch.” Ryoma bluntly asked. “That’s way too easy. There’s a catch.”

The bear laughed. “Puhuhuhuhu... I’m glad you asked! The catch is also the reason why we are meeting in the dormitories after all!”

This did _not_ reassure Shuichi in the slightest.

“Did you know? The Sanzu river takes its name directly from the Japanese ‘San’, meaning ‘three’ and ‘Zu’, meaning ‘way’ for our non-japanese audience!”

... What?

“This garden has a similar mechanic! There are only three choices offered to those entering it!”

_“... To die, to kill or to suffer.”_

... Huh?

“This academy is a garden of traps in every corner. Both outside and inside. From pitfalls to spears to arrows to spikes, everything is here to hurt you. But my favorite part is...”

“... Some rooms will lock themselves and whisper your worst fears to you.”

“Of course, none of the traps will actually kill you, that would be a shame if someone was accidentally killed!”

“But I meticulously put everything in place so you guys could enjoy this academy of nightmares!”

Monokuma raised his paws in the air with excitement.

... This could not be real.

An academy of nightmares??

“There is one zone that is free of danger, which is where we’re standing!”

“The dorms are safe?” Kirumi raised an eyebrow.

“Thaaaat’s right! The dormitories are the only place without any traps!”

Shuichi couldn't even say anything.

As if the academy wasn't already the place where they all had to kill each other, it just had to be trapped for the sole purpose of making them suffer?

What did whoever put them into the killing game even want from them?

If he even dared to ask Monokuma he would probably say "despair".

And at this point, is the truth even worth knowing?

Was there even an explanation of why _they_ had to endure this?

"Of course it would take a loooong time to search through the whole academy for the locks, so I'm giving you one hint each day! They will be available on your monopads! How generous of me!"

Shuichi wanted to vomit.

This entire motive made no sense.

"That was all the explanations for the motive! Any questions?"

No one even dared to speak.

That was even worse than the last motive.

_Even if he even managed to survive, what even would be the next motive?_

"No? Then good luck! And don't forget..." the bear smiled.

"The garden will be shut down when a dead body gets discovered."

He left immediately after, the two remaining monokubs following behind.

Everyone stared at each other.

Rantaro slowly approached the door and opened it.

No traps were visible, but Shuichi knew the moment someone would set a foot outside a trap would activate.

"Give me a sec." Ryoma approached his dorm and entered the room.

About a minute later, he came out with a set of tennis balls, supposedly won at the monomono machine. He took a ball out and threw it outside.

... Nothing happened.

"Was Monokuma lying about the traps?" Shuichi raised an eyebrow.

"I think it just means that it's not a trap activated with a motion sensor. There's a possibility the trap is activated when you step foot on one of the path stones." Kirumi shook her head.

"Before we go head first and get us all killed how about we get organized? We know the dorms are the safe spot of the academy, so we'll likely spend most of our time here." Rantaro turned to the others.

"We'll still have to go outside to find the locks." Kiyo added. "We will have to think collectively or else we will not keep up for long."

Shuichi checked his monopad to see what the hints were.

_Memories of lavender._

_Senses and intuition ~ Follow your heart._

Of course it was going to be some kind of riddle that he didn't get.

"So? What's your plan, boss?" Ryoma asked Rantaro, hands in his pockets.

He pondered for a moment. "First off we should move as much food as we can to the dorms. It will be safer to eat here than in the dining hall."

Kirumi nodded. "Although for now, we should focus on searching at least one of our locks. We have a time limit for each of them."

"But... Do we separate or do we go in groups?" Miu asked.

Rantaro sat down to think. "There are nine of us. Since I think it's too dangerous to leave someone by themselves, I suggest we go by groups of 3 whenever we move from here."

"And our groups shouldn't change for the day so no one gets confused." Ryoma added.

... This clearly wasn't appreciated by some of them. Noticeably Kaito and Kokichi.

Tsumugi crossed her arms. "So? Who gets with who?"

"I suggest we separate Ryoma, you and I since we're probably the most qualified to detect the traps." Kirumi raised a hand. "One in each of the groups seems reasonable."

The prodigy nodded. "That is fair."

She took a few steps away, and so did Ryoma.

After some debating, the groups were made.

Rantaro, Ryoma, and Kaito were the first group.

Kirumi, Kokichi and Miu were the second.

And finally, Shuichi, Tsumugi, and Kiyo formed the last group.

"So now it's pretty much 'the first group finding all their morning locks gets the food'?" Tsumugi fiddled with her hair.

"For now, that is the plan. If we find each others' locks, we share the info however we can." Kiyo replied.

"Well, how do we even do that?" Miu tilted her head to the side. "If we're separated, we can't do anything."

Shuichi pondered. "The most we can do is yelling, I mean my hearing is pretty developed but there are limits to it..."

Ryoma fixed his beanie. "We'll only better our strategy if we face the danger at least once. Staying here won't do any good."

The others agreed.

The strategy was fixed.

The groups would go out one by one by intervals of five minutes to investigate where their lockers would be.

Kaito, Rantaro, and Ryoma left first. The others watched them go to see if everything was fine. They were walking slowly to make sure they didn't activate anything.

For now, everything seemed fine. But Shuichi preferred not to get his hopes up.

The two remaining groups talked about their riddles. They looked pretty strange.

"Hey, Kiyo... Do you have an idea of what my riddle could mean?" he asked the therapist.

"Let's see..." he took the violinist's monopad and read the two sentences. "I don't think your riddle is too far fetched. Does the color purple remind you of something nostalgic and positive?"

He pondered. "I... No, I don't think that's it."

Kiyo shook his head. "All theories could be right. Your riddle says to 'follow your heart'. Your answer could be right."

He looked at the tablet for a moment. "My... My cousin has lavender hair. And I do miss her."

Then it clicked. "Ah! My lab! That's where Miu made her portrait when we got the motive videos!"

Kiyo weakly smiled. "That sounds plausible. We will check your lab once we get to the main building."

Shuichi stared back at the tablet. "So was that the first or the second quote?"

The therapist shook his head. "I don't think one quote is for one lock. Both locks must be linked somehow."

"So the other lock is also hinted by the riddle?"

"I think so." Kiyo nodded. "Perhaps..."

He pointed at the second quote. "You found a potential solution with your intuition. So the second could be linked to your senses."

"My senses...? Something purple that could be linked to my senses?"

Hearing? No. His lab was already for one lock.

Taste? The only thing popping in his mind was that type of soda with a taste you could only describe as 'purple'. Which he didn't like in the slightest.

Touch? That would be unlikely...

Sight? Too vague...

Smell? That could be it since the riddle said 'lavender'. Perhaps...

"The wisterias from the courtyard? They're purple, right?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Does it remind you of something nostalgic?" Kiyo asked.

Shuichi weakly chuckled. "My cousin always had two long braids. Somehow it always reminded me of those flowers..."

Kiyo put a finger on his chin. "So both of your locks are related to one person. To me, we are on the right path."

Just as they stopped talking, Kirumi's group was prepared to go.

Well, Miu and Kirumi were prepared to go. Kokichi was barely keeping up.

The two girls made sure the smaller boy was following when they left, nervousness written all over their faces.

The three ones left in the dorms looked at each other.

"So, did you two find out where your locks could be?" the prodigy asked.

"I'm guessing one is in my lab, and the other should be at the pool." the therapist replied.

Tsumugi nodded. "Good, good. And you?" she turned to Shuichi.

"Oh, um... I think one is near the wisterias and the other should be in my lab as well..."

She frowned. "Three in a row."

"Huh?"

"All of us have a lock in our respective labs. I'm thinking Monokuma put them here as some sort of guide for the first day. The next days are probably going to get harder and harder."

... What did 'harder' mean?

"What about you, then?" Kiyo asked.

"One should be in my lab. The other in the library."

The therapist nodded. "I see. Do you have a strategy for which places we check?"

She started pacing around slowly. "We have both of them in the main building except Shuichi who has one in front of the dorms."

She stopped. "For now we are also requested to help to transport food to the dorms, but there's a possibility the other groups will be done with the locks before us. So I think we should go to the ones that are not in our labs." She narrowed her eyes. "Although for the next days we should find out the locks' locations _before_ forming the groups."

They nodded.

Enough time had passed since the last group left, so they decided to go as well.

They reached the wisterias with no problem, and a black podium with an icon was indeed there.

Before they could go under the pergola, Tsumugi glanced at the structure. She took off her jacket and threw it on the table. Spikes suddenly rose from above, impaling the piece of cloth before it could reach the table.

"... We'll have to find ways to activate traps in advance. We won't use my jacket each time. The tennis balls were pretty effective." the prodigy picked up the jacket from the floor where it had fallen.

The three made their way to the podium, which had Shuichi's icon on it. A red LED was on, indicating that the violinist had not yet activated it.

After taking out the Sanzu key and approaching it to the icon, a small jingle rang, with the LED turning green.

At least the 'paying' process was easy.

"Next up is mine, at the pool." Kiyo turned to the two.

Surprisingly, their way to the main building was quite silent. 

Perhaps the paths outside were never trapped, and it was only the main structures?

Kiyo carefully opened the door.

A black podium was right beside the deckchairs.

He glanced around to see if there were any traps, and carefully approached the podium. After the small jingle rang, he joined the others so they could move on.

Two out of three.

Something didn't feel right for Shuichi. That motive looked way too simple.

Would it be like Tsumugi said, that this was going to get harder and harder with time?

They left the pool and approached the door to the main building.

When they opened it, Shuichi took a step and immediately stopped when an arrow was shot right in front of his face.

"Ah!-"

He took a step backwards and touched the bridge of his nose.

Pecks of blood tainted his fingers.

"Are you okay, Shuichi?" Kiyo asked, worried.

He turned to the therapist. "I'm- I'm fine, this just surprised me. Perhaps we should crouch to pass this door."

He rubbed his nose with his wrist. The wound was pretty light, but it still stung.

The three made their way to the central hall, luckily not activating any more traps.

"Now let's go to the basement. Once we're done with the library we'll be free for now." Tsumugi declared.

They slowly went to the corridor leading to the stairs, until...

_*click*_

They stopped and looked at their feet.

Kiyo had just stepped onto a pressure plate.

Shuichi's heart skipped a beat when a wall of concrete came down from the ceiling behind them, crushing the grass on the floor.

Then another. And another.

They ran as fast as they could to the stairs, walls menacing to crush them if they were not fast enough.

The trio tripped, fell down the stairs and crashed against the wall.

"Ouch..."

"At least we're alive."

"Even though Monokuma said those traps were not going to kill us we almost ended up crushed."

"Could you two move? I can't breathe..."

"Tsumugi is on top of me, I cannot move either."

The prodigy stood up, brushing dust off her skirt. "I thought you two would be physically stronger than that."

Shuichi could barely mutter under Kiyo's weight. "Well, I'm a violinist, not a biker nor a soldier..."

The therapist stood up and helped Shuichi get on his feet.

Just as the three recovered from their fall, Rantaro's group appeared.

The medic blinked a few times in confusion. "Are you three okay?"

Shuichi rubbed the bridge of his nose to wipe off the rest of the blood from earlier. "We're fine. It could be worse."

Ryoma appeared from behind. "Tsumugi, there's a lock for you in the library. We deactivated the trap here so don't worry about anything."

"I guessed it from my riddle, but thank you."

Kaito was also there but did not seem to want to contribute to the conversation.

"Anyway, our group is done with the morning locks. We'll be getting the food." Rantaro cracked his knuckles.

Kiyo pondered. "Our group only has one more morning lock to activate. We'll be able to join you shortly."

"In that case, we should go to your lab, Rantaro." Ryoma crossed his arms. "We'll need medical supplies in case someone gets injured."

The medic nodded. "Sounds good. So you three can bring the food in the meantime?" he turned to Kiyo.

"Count on us."

The two groups separated. The concrete walls were gone- they were made to make them hurry, not to lock them in the basement, fortunately.

Just as Ryoma said, the trap was deactivated in the library. It seemed to have made some of the bookshelves fall. Tsumugi's lock was right in front of a table.

The jingle rang as she approached her key.

They left the basement to get to the dining hall. No one seemed to have gone there yet.

Shuichi approached the pantry but suddenly...

_The floor disappeared beneath his feet._

Kiyo thankfully caught his arm before he could fall.

_Don't look down don't look down don't look down don't look down-_

"T-Thanks a lot, Kiyo..." he mumbled.

The two others helped him up.

He sat on the ground for a minute, trying to calm down.

How deep was that hole?

"Tch. I knew something would happen." Tsumugi quietly spat.

"Then why didn't you say anything?" Kiyo narrowed his eyes at her.

"Excuse me if I don't express every single intuition I have."

"We're in a situation where we could die instantly. Every single intuition could save a life."

"It could also make us paranoid for nothing. You should know as a therapist that paranoia could also kill us."

"I prefer to be paranoid over careless."

Shuichi knew that is he didn't stop them they could argue for hours.

"Guys! Please..." he stood up despite his feet trembling. "I'm fine. Let's just... Get the food."

The two exchanged glances and stepped in the pantry, avoiding the giant hole in the ground.

"We don't have a refrigerator in the dorms, so we'll have to take durable food." Tsumugi noted.

"We have access to drinkable water in the dorms, I don't think drinks will be necessary." Shuichi added.

Tsumugi looked around. "We don't have any bags. And my jacket is too small to make a substitute.

_Shuichi thought back at when Himiko and Kokichi here going to the dorms using their jackets as bags for objects they won at the monomono machine. But..._

_The astronomer wasn't here anymore. He had to accept it._

He shook his head. "That's better than nothing. I still have my own just in case."

"And mine." Kiyo added.

"Also, perhaps we should take cutlery. To eat and to serve as a decoy for the traps." Tsumugi suggested.

The three started taking food. Mostly canned food since it was the safest option.

Shuichi had suggested taking rice and other starchy foods, but since there was no way to cook them in the dorms, the idea was rejected.

Shortly after, Kirumi, Miu, and Kokichi joined them.

"It's nice to take food that doesn't expire soon, but we should take food that doesn't take much space." Kirumi explained. "We will not go in this building too much, so we'll have to take as much as we possibly can." 

Miu pondered for a second. "How about we use kitchen furniture to transport food? That's two in one!"

Tsumugi perked up. "I didn't think about that."

"However the kitchen furniture will be useless to us since we do not have anything to cook food." Kiyo advised.

"But that's still better than using our jackets to transport food... And perhaps we'll find a way to cook." Shuichi countered.

"Then the pots will be the best for both cooking and transport." Tsumugi declared.

The 6 of them took time to choose which food to take. Canned food, rice, noodles, dry food but also some fruits. They took enough cutlery for both the group and to use it as a trap decoy.

They left the dining hall with all the furniture.

_Shuichi hoped they wouldn't have to run with that much in their hands._

Miu looked at the pot she was transporting, full of fruits. "We said we would take the pots but any idea on what to use to cook? We know there's no lighter or some kind of portable stove..."

Tsumugi pondered. "We have the candles on the fourth floor and wood in Angie's lab. But that will require maintenance."

"I believe there are tools to keep the fire alive in my lab since there is a fireplace. We should take a look this afternoon." Kiyo suggested.

"That sounds fair to m-" Tsumugi interrupted herself when she heard a click.

A series of needles was shot from the walls on the group, stabbing each of them in all places.

They ran as fast as they could to get out of the building. Shuichi is pretty sure some of the food fell on the floor, but now was not the time to retrieve it.

His cheeks hurt.

They pushed the door to get out of the building.

Shuichi heard a loud noise, of someone falling to the ground.

When he turned around, his eyes widened.

Miu was less covered than the majority of them. She only had a crop top and a short overall. The needles did much more damage on her than on the others.

She wasn't bleeding, but there were way too many of them, on her arms, legs, and even her face.

"Miu!!" he kneeled before her. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I-I'm fine. D-Don't worry about me." she stuttered.

Everyone took off the needles that stuck on their bodies, Shuichi helping Miu get hers off.

Kiyo helped her getting up. "Rantaro's group went on the third floor for medical supplies. He'll help you once they come back."

She weakly nodded.

Kirumi had taken Kiyo's pot so he could help Miu walk.

Fortunately, no more traps activated on their way to the dorms.

When they opened the door, they realized Rantaro's group was already there, organizing the medical supplies.

The medic rushed to the group. "Are you guys okay?"

"We activated a trap and Miu ended up getting more injured than us. She needs your help, Rantaro." Kiyo explained.

The group organized the food and cutlery, except for Miu and Rantaro, the latter disinfecting the former's wounds.

Kirumi prepared lunch with Ryoma since Miu was unable to do anything. Shuichi hadn't realized they took that long to activate a few locks and transport food. But at least they had enough for the day, and perhaps the day after if they managed to save enough.

For some reason, Rantaro, Ryoma, Kirumi, and Kokichi already seemed to be used to be light on food, considering how little they ate.

The group ate in silence on the floor of the dorms. Canned food was not the tastiest, especially considering what Kirumi and Miu could usually cook, but they didn't have a choice.

This motive was already starting to get the better of them. Would they even be able to continue like this for long? Long enough for Monokuma to perhaps get bored and stop the motive?

Since there wasn't much to do, everyone either stayed in their rooms or talked in the lobby.

Shuichi was already tired from the morning, so he laid on his bed for the time being.

They could only use the locks after 3 PM. Monokuma already knew they would be going to rush and unlock both if he didn't add the rule.

He thought about the situation. They were surprisingly organized.

Surprising...

Was it, though?

Their group had two soldiers, a mercenary, an intellectual genius, and a therapist to help them get organized.

They were teenagers more mature than any normal person their age.

A maturity that came from the harshness of their past.

The fact that they were able to get organized so well...

_... That was definitely not surprising._

-

At around 2:50 PM, he left his room to join the others. (The others being: Kirumi and Rantaro).

He only noticed after that Ryoma was knocking on Tsumugi's door.

"Um... Is everything alright?" the violinist asked the two.

"Well, we're trying to think about how the traps work, and that's why we need Tsumugi." Kirumi explained.

Speaking of which, the prodigy joined them with Ryoma.

"We need your opinion on this, Tsumugi." Rantaro looked serious.

"I'm listening."

Kirumi crossed her arms. "We're saying that the more we are in a group, the higher are the chances of activating a trap, and possibly a huge one."

She pondered for a second. "From the traps we activated, I think that could be true. The needles were quite ferocious, even if they didn't look like it."

She perked up. "You're saying we should try to go individually and not by groups?"

Shuichi blinked. "Go individually? Isn't there a risk we could get injured without being able to be helped?"

Rantaro nervously bounced his leg. "I've inspected Miu's injuries earlier. This was not pretty to look at. I'm the only one who can treat serious wounds, so I have to admit going separately would be safer."

So the opposite strategy from earlier.

But if that was the best strategy, then it could be for the best.

...

Shuichi wished he could be as smart and strong as them.

-

At 3:00 PM, the others came out of their rooms.

After a short explanation, they decided to go by groups of two, even though they would separate at some point.

They also decided that those on the fourth floor would bring candles and wood, and Kiyo would get the tools for the fire.

Kirumi and Ryoma went first.

Then Rantaro and Kaito.

Tsumugi went alone.

Then it was Shuichi and Kiyo's turn. They wished Miu and Kokichi good luck and left.

"... I'm still nervous about this strategy." Shuichi admitted.

"For now it's for the best. This is the first day, we will decide which strategy is the best for tomorrow." Kiyo replied. "However we can go together with a distance between us so we do not activate unnecessary traps."

Shuichi smiled. "If it doesn't bother you of course."

"At the sole condition that you help me carry the tools from the fireplace."

He chuckled. "Alright. I accept."

They reached the building, and Shuichi crouched to enter the entrance hall. Perhaps the arrow trap wasn't there anymore, but he preferred not to take a risk.

The walk to the second floor was silent and surprisingly peaceful. They avoided a few traps in the corridors, going one after the other.

This strategy seemed to work.

The fewer people were together, the lower are the chances to activate a trap.

...

_Monokuma wanted to separate them. Even Shuichi realized that._

The violinist entered his lab and activated the locker.

He sighed in relief. At least this was over for now.

Just as he stepped out of the lab, he joined back Kiyo, who was waiting for him near the stairs to the third floor.

"So, was your lock in your lab?" he asked.

"Yes, I managed to activate it." Shuichi nodded. "Thank you for helping me this morning."

The two made their way to the fifth floor.

...

This was too silent. Something was wrong.

"Are you coming, Shuichi?" Kiyo asked when he saw that Shuichi slowed down.

"Ah yes I'm..." he trailed off when he heard a faint noise. A voice?

He paused to focus.

"Shuichi?-"

"Shhh!" he raised a hand to ask him to be quiet.

There was a voice. It was definitely a voice.

Wait-

It was not _a_ voice. It was _several_ unfamiliar voices.

Kiyo raised an eyebrow.

...

Something wasn't right.

He walked down the upper set of stairs since the voices were definitely below them- on the fourth floor.

Kiyo followed him.

He could barely hear anything, but voices were coming from somewhere, he was sure of it.

"..."

"... -where... ... stops-"

"..."

"... Rats..."

"..."

_"... Rats..."_

_"..."_

_"... Rats... Rats... Rats..."_

Shuichi had a very bad feeling.

He stepped forward to go down the other set of stairs...

_... But stopped when he heard a blood curling scream. Not a scream of pain. A scream of pure terror._

And by the pitch of the voice, it was...

"... Kokichi?" he instinctively muttered.

The violinist and the therapist exchanged quick glances.

Shuichi panicked.

He ran.

He didn't even care if a trap activated. He knew where the voices were from. Where the scream came from.

He ran through the fourth floor despite Kiyo telling him to stop.

The voices were louder and louder as he ran.

Some were talking and panicking. Some were repeating the same word over and over.

_"Rats."_

_"They're everywhere- Someone just kill them!"_

_"Rats. Rats."_

_"Stay away from me!"_

_"Rats. Rats. Rats. Rats."_

_"God please have mercy on our souls- There's no God! We're going to die like rats!"_

_"Ratsratsratsratsratsratsratsrats"_

_"I- I think I'm infected too- STAY AWAY FROM ME!!"_

_"Ratsratsratsratsratsratsratsratsratsratsratsrats"_

_"WHAT DID WE DO TO DESERVE THIS??"_

_"Ratsratsratsratsratsratsratsratsratsratsratsratsratsratsratsratsratsratsrats-"_

Suddenly the voices stopped all at once.

Shuichi entered the corridor leading to Kokichi's lab. A second door had shut down, eliminating every possibility of entering the lab.

"Kokichi!! Kokichi!!!!"

... Nothing.

Kiyo joined him, his monopad in hand. "Kokichi isn't the only one in here."

He looked at the therapist.

"Miu is here as well."

Shuichi kept slamming the door with his fist.

"Kokichi!! Miu!! Say something!!"

No one was answering. The second door was soundproofing the lab. Which was why the voices had 'stopped'.

They didn't stop, they were just contained in the lab.

Shuichi couldn't hear Miu and Kokichi, and neither of them could hear Shuichi banging at the door.

_"Miu!! Kokichi!!!"_

... This was hopeless.

He thought back at what Monokuma said earlier.

_“... Some rooms will lock themselves to whisper your worst fears to you.”_

That was what he meant.

He meant psychological torture.

Shuichi and Kiyo would only wait, powerless over the situation.

The violinist fell on his knees.

Just the thought made him want to puke.

_Kokichi and Miu were stuck in a room made for psychological torture._

_And they had no way of getting out._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The daily life part will be way longer than I expected-


	26. Chapter 4: Dance, dance, hanged puppets - Daily life (part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Monokuma transformed the academy into the "Sanzu garden", where all they could do was try to avoid deadly traps. But Kokichi and Miu got trapped in a room with no way out...

...

A few minutes earlier.

Miu and Kokichi reached the fourth floor.

The street artist glanced at her partner, worried about his current state.

She knew Kaito personally, which was why she felt a bit more comfortable confronting him but...

Kokichi was something else.

She took a deep breath. "You said your lock was probably in your lab?"

He didn't bother looking at her in the eyes. "... I think so."

Miu arbored a fake smile- even though she did her best to make it convincing. "Great! I'll wait for you here since Rantaro said it's safer to be separated. Alright?"

He weakly nodded and walked through the corridor to get to his lab.

She dropped the smile as soon as his back was turned.

Miu could feel the worry gnawing at her from the inside.

After leaning against the wall, she crossed her arms and sighed. Once he gets back they'll finally be done for the day.

...

_"... Rats..."_

She perked up. The voice felt unfamiliar.

_"Everywhere... They're everywhere..."_

Miu frowned. The voices came from... Kokichi's lab?

_"Rats... Rats..."_

She had a bad feeling about this.

_"Make it stop... Make it stop please..."_

Screw safety measures. She was going to get him.

_"... Rats... Rats... Rats..."_

She accelerated her pace as she passed in front of the empty rooms.

_A blood-curling scream echoed through the floor._

The voice was no doubt Kokichi's.

The street artist ran to the lab. The door was closed, so she rushed to open it.

The voices came from the room itself, directly blaring those ominous words through the speakers.

Kokichi was on the ground, hands slammed on his ears and shaking like a leaf.

She could barely hear her own thoughts over the voices.

_"Rats. Rats."_

_"Stay away from me!"_

_"Rats. Rats. Rats. Rats."_

_"God please have mercy on our souls- There's no God! We're going to die like rats!"_

_"Ratsratsratsratsratsratsratsrats"_

_"I- I think I'm infected too- STAY AWAY FROM ME!!"_

Miu kneeled before him. "Kokichi- Listen to me!"

His voice was cracking. "I don't want this I don't want this I don't want this-"

_"Ratsratsratsratsratsratsratsratsratsratsratsrats"_

_"WHAT DID WE DO TO DESERVE THIS??"_

She tried to put her hands on his shoulders but he rapidly moved back. He was hyperventilating and not rational at the moment.

"S-Stay away from me!! I-I can't- I can't-"

Miu herself started to panic. "Kokichi listen to me! Those voices are not real! This isn't real!"

"I can't go through this again! Not-Not again! I'm tired of this!"

She didn't get anything he said but realized whatever method Monokuma was using to torment him was extremely effective.

_"Ratsratsratsratsratsratsratsratsratsratsratsratsratsratsratsratsratsratsrats-"_

Stay calm. Stay calm. Stay calm.

The door behind them slammed, forbidding them from getting out.

But now wasn't the time.

"Kokichi, focus on me! This is not real!"

"The rats- T-They're everywhere- I-I can't do this anymore I-"

"Kokichi-"

"It's over for us, we're a-all going to die here and-and-and-"

"No one is going to die, we're all here, we're alive and we will get out of here!"

"Shinji- Kanata- Hifumi- Nikei- Akane- Hiro- I'msorryI'msorryI'msorryI'msorryI'm-"

Miu was growing desperate. She had no idea how to deal with panic attacks.

Rantaro had explained to her that he learned how to deal with them with his companions but...

_She wasn't a damn soldier nor a therapist and had no clue what to do right now._

"Please listen to me! If anything the rats are either somewhere else or dead! They're not here and can't do shit to us!" she exclaimed, trying to hold back tears.

...

The voices slowly started to fade away.

Kokichi seemed to have snapped out of his own thoughts, although still shaking like crazy.

Was that working?

"The... The rats are dead. T-They're dead."

There was a moment of silence Kokichi was looking at the ground.

"... I... I'm still... I'm still responsible for all of this- it's my fault the whole city died and-"

Miu interrupted him. "Please don't say things like that. Even if your talent had something to do with it you-"

"But it is!" he yelled. "I'm not an idiot, that's everything my talent does! They were right, I'm nothing but someone bringing bad luck to everyone else!"

The young woman got startled when he grabbed the straps of her overall. "Why don't you understand it already?? Everyone died by my fault! The city may have been rotten to the core, but I'm the one who destroyed it! It's my damn fault the entire city fucking died!"

"I knew I had this shitty talent, but _this_ is the proof of why you guys shouldn't even approach me in the first place! Just stop telling me 'it's not your fault' when it fucking is!"

He paused for a moment.

"... You guys don't realize what being 'the ultimate karma' is all about. It's not just about punishing people who made bad actions."

_"It's also about wiping out an entire city filled with criminals and yakuza by attracting the black plague."_

Miu felt a chill down her spine.

The black plague??

She had heard about a city being wiped out by the illness. It was still considered an urban legend in the rest of the country because no one believed the _black plague_ of all illnesses managed to wipe out an entire city without it spreading anywhere else.

Those urban legends passed through ear to ear from the rich areas to the red-light districts. She never even imagined one second that they could have been true.

What else did she miss??

"You get it yet?" it felt like he was starring at her soul.

_"Stop portraying me as innocent when everything could have been avoided if I didn't exist in the first place."_

Miu gulped.

"But you didn't ask for this, didn't you?"

"That's not the point! I killed those people! I saw the- I saw _them_ everywhere! I-"

"Answer my question."

Kokichi paused, lowering his head.

"..."

He chuckled bitterly. "Why are we even arguing about this? It's over. I should be over this by now. It's been years I..."

"I know my talent is this way, and there's nothing I can do about it. It kills criminals, it kills bad people, it kills my friends, it kills..."

"..."

"It will kill you one day. Just like it killed- I just know it. It's only a matter of time."

His grip on her overall weakened.

Miu glanced away for a moment, approached her hands to his shoulders but hesitated. Last time he violently backed off, so this time she put them slowly. Kokichi still slightly jumped at the touch.

She wasn't going to let anyone think like this on her watch.

Kaito was already isolating himself, in denial about the incident with Keebo, and refusing to talk about his problems. Seeing Kokichi repressing his own emotions because he 'should' be over this incident...

_It was too much._

"Listen I..."

Finding the right words was difficult. In this state, anything could make him break down again. And this time she probably wouldn't be able to make it better.

... She thought about her discussion with Rantaro the day before.

-

_"Was it hard?" the street artist asked. "To comfort your friends and companions... You must have gone through a lot back there."_

_He pondered for a moment._

_"Sometimes you don't need to say much. Once you get to know them, you find ways to reassure them. Some are more appealed by physical touch, some prefer words... It's different for each individual."_

_She nodded._

_"But... If there is one thing to remember, it's to make sure your words come from your heart. If you pretend to think a certain way, the person you try to help will notice it, and it will be harder to help them."_

_He chuckled bitterly. "This sounds silly out of context, I know."_

_Miu shook her head. "No, it doesn't! I mean it!"_

_The medic blinked. "Heh. See? You already get the concept."_

_She slightly blushed even though she tried to hide it. "I-It's nothing."_

_He fiddled with his necklace. "The best piece of advice I can give is to be true to yourself when you try to comfort someone. Sympathy comes with honesty, and trying to be someone you're not only results in being hurt on both sides."_

-

To be true to yourself...

She took a deep breath.

"First off... I can't hide the fact that I think your karma is terrifying." Miu admitted. "But I'm not going to run away because of it. It's not fully unpredictable, and we can turn it to our advantage."

He glanced away. "But still-"

"Second off." she interrupted him. "No one is expecting you to be over an incident like this. And no one is expecting you not to grieve over someone's death. I won't lie, I have no experience in the field, but to me, you don't have to feel guilty about taking time to recover from this, nor needing the time to stop feeling guilty about your talent."

"What I mean is..." she continued. "If you need to bawl your eyes out and to grieve, then do it. You won't ever move on if you repress your emotions forever."

"And if you need someone to cry to, then I'll be here for you."

Kokichi looked up to her.

Perhaps it was the striking resemblance between him and her son making her act so motherly, but she didn't care.

Something in his eyes made it clear that she struck a chord. That she was right. And that finally, he was starting to see that.

He then nervously glanced away, like he wanted to say something, but didn't dare to.

"I'm not going to judge. If you need to I-"

To her surprise, he wrapped his arms around her and nudged his head onto her shoulder, holding onto her like a lifeline.

Miu felt him still shaking like a leaf. She hugged him back like she used to do with her son before the game.

For now, he needed someone to comfort him, and nothing else.

"There, there." she murmured, slowly petting his back. "I'm here. It's okay."

A muffled sob was heard, and Miu could feel tears wetting her shoulder, then more and more tears, dripping onto her shirt.

"M-Miu..." he muttered between chocked sobs. "Why...?"

"Why do I have this talent? Why did I have to be born here? Why is all of this happening?"

He slowly moved his head away, low enough not to be seen.

"What did I..."

He lifted his head to look at her, tears streaming down his face, eyes red from the crying.

_"What did I do wrong...?"_

She didn't have any answers. Life was unfair, she learned that long ago. But was there even an explanation?

She didn't know.

She didn't know why they were even thrown into the game.

Why whoever was behind this wanted to see them suffer.

All they could do was help each other not to wallow in their own misery by themselves.

Her only response was to hold onto him even tighter.

"... I don't know Kokichi." she muttered. "I don't know."

[-BGM-](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nk8COybCLuU)

There was a moment of silence, Kokichi held back onto the street artist with all his strength.

The tears flooded back, stronger than before.

"W-Why are we here? What did we do?"

For now, Miu had to be strong. Even if this hurt her, she had to stay strong.

"Why do we have to do this why-"

A chocked sob. "Why did they have to die? Gonta and Tenko and Kaede and Maki and Angie and Keebo and-"

"Himiko... Why did Himiko have to die? She didn't do anything wrong she helped me with this she stayed by my side and didn't even care about my talent even though she knew about the dangers of it I-"

"She- She never told me I was dangerous and always spent time with me, s-she always told me there were good parts in karma a-and always tried to convince me that I wasn't a burden- why-"

His grip was getting stronger, his words interrupted even more frequently by ugly sobs.

"Why did Angie have to get the disease?? Why did Himiko have to go through this torture and-"

"And why do things have to be this way?? What does Monokuma even want from us??"

"Why?? Why did I have to get this stupid disease? Why did my talent have to be reversed and why was Himiko the one to get dragged into this and-"

"And why do we have to go through this motive?? Why did you have to get stung by needles and why do we have to go through this and- and- and..."

"And..."

"... And..."

"..."

...

He stopped.

There were no answers to those questions.

He could only cry unfairness to this Godless world.

There was no point in asking those questions since no one would answer them.

... If only he could just move on everything.

From his past.

From his old friends who abandoned him because of his talent.

From the victims of the killing game.

From Himiko's death.

From... Himiko's...

Miu felt her heart shatter as Kokichi started wailing.

It wasn't the silent crying you could see in movies.

It was the ugly kind. The wails of despair, of feeling powerless over a situation no one knew how to escape.

The injustice. The unfairness.

All shouted out between sobs.

"H-Himiko!! I'm sorry- I miss you! I'm sorry! I-"

"I j- I just want you back at my side! Please-"

"H-Himi... Himiko..."

He didn't even find words to yell anymore.

No more insults and ways to curse life.

All he could do was cry. And all Miu could do was to hold him tight.

The cries echoed through the silent room, a lab that was a painful reminder that Kokichi had this curse surrounding him for the rest of his life.

A curse everyone else knew as "Ultimate karma".

Their grip on each other tightened even more as if the other was going to disappear if they even dared to let them go.

Kokichi kept crying, letting out all the tears in his body, all the emotions he had repressed until now.

Not just from Himiko's death, but from everything that happened before the game. From every single time he kept telling himself that he should be over this already. From every single time a friend told him to stay back because of his 'bad luck'. From every single time someone's death was caused by this talent.

From every time his talent was involved in someone's misery.

He kept crying for who knows how long.

After some time he calmed down, although still holding onto Miu- and Miu doing the same.

His shaking slowly faded away.

The two were kept in this hug. It wasn't an affectionate hug, after all the two didn't even know each other that much. It was a comforting hug both needed at the moment.

Miu moved a hand to his hair, stroking it gently.

With the closeness of the two, she could also feel his heartbeat calm down slowly, coming back to a normal state.

Time didn't seem to matter now. Who cares if they're stuck in this room? Monokuma will have to open it back eventually.

Now wasn't the time to worry about the motive. Her job was to comfort the boy in her arms. Who cares if that takes 30 minutes, an hour, or even an entire day.

Even Miu herself could feel relaxed from managing to help him calm down.

But deep down another feeling was growing inside her.

Not a feeling of pity for Kokichi, nor worry about the others.

It was a feeling of rage. Of hatred. On whoever was making them suffer.

Because they know how to make the group suffer. Either physically or psychologically.

And whoever was organizing the killing game...

_... Was going to pay._

For now, she solely focused on Kokichi. She would worry about the mastermind later.

She kept stroking the boy's light lavender hair slowly, making sure not to disturb him.

After all, judging by his breathing and lack of reaction, she was pretty sure he was asleep by now.

...

-

...

6:00 PM.

Shuichi and Kiyo kept waiting in front of the room that never opened in two and a half hours.

Kiyo had gone to take some tools and wood in Angie's lab, plus the candles from the empty rooms. Shuichi wanting to keep an eye on the lab in case it opened.

Of course, he was going to help Kiyo bringing back the materials to the dorms, but he couldn't bring himself to leave the corridor for as long as Kokichi and Miu were trapped in here.

And then, it finally happened.

The second door opened.

And yet, he couldn't hear much from the lab.

Except... Humming?

The therapist and the violinist looked at each other in worry.

"Do you think they're okay?" Shuichi asked.

"... We won't know unless we open. But I fear for the worst."

He slowly opened the door.

To his surprise, Miu was on the ground with Kokichi in her arms. Was he asleep? That took him off guard.

The girl was humming a song quietly and stopped when the two boys entered the room.

"Miu... Kokichi... Are you two okay?" Kiyo asked.

She made a thumbs up. For something they thought was a room for psychological torture, they looked fine.

Before the boys could add anything else, she placed an arm below Kokichi's thighs and the other behind his back. She somehow managed to stand up with the small boy in her arms, his own wrapped around her neck.

_How strong was she?_

Despite the boy in her arms and the needle injuries from earlier, she managed to walk to the door.

"Let's just leave."

The walk to the dorms was silent. Shuichi, who was holding pieces of wood, kept glancing at Miu. Kokichi looked so peaceful in her arms. What happened back there?

Miu, on the contrary, looked almost mad. A rage she was keeping to herself.

Perhaps he should talk to her about this later.

Thankfully, they didn't activate any more traps, despite being a group of four.

_Strange. Was it because there was some kind of quota of traps?_

Kiyo opened the door, and everyone else immediately turned to the group.

They were visibly arguing whether or not to go back there to get them.

"At last." Tsumugi sighed. "What happened to you guys?"

Miu didn't even bother to look at anyone and made her way to Kokichi's room.

Shuichi noticed Kaito looking at her in awe, but quickly glanced away.

The violinist followed her to check if the room was locked. To his surprise, it wasn't.

"I'll be taking care of this, thank you." she coldly replied to his gesture.

The violinist came down the stairs, a bit confused. Kiyo was explaining the situation to the others.

"So you two thought it was a good idea to just stand in front of a door for two hours?" Tsumugi raised an eyebrow at the therapist.

"And what else were we supposed to do? We brought back the wood and the tools, we completed our part of the deal. They could have needed help." he narrowed his eye at her.

"We stated that being separated was better for us. You four could have been hurt more than if you just went back to the dorms."

"Tsumugi, the important is that they're fine." Rantaro interrupted. "No one knew how those rooms worked. We'll talk about a strategy for whenever someone gets trapped in a room when Miu gets back."

Kirumi had her arms crossed. "That's for the best. We don't know how these rooms work."

Ryoma changed the subject. "Anyway, for now, we should try to make the fire before the candles light out."

Tsumugi looked up to the ceiling. "It would be dangerous to make a fire indoors. We'll have to do it outside."

"The best would be right in front of the dorms then." Rantaro suggested. "We can't exactly go too far away."

He looked at the other soldier. "Ryoma, do you think you can do it?"

He gave a thumbs-up as he approached the pieces of wood. "One can do, boss."

Kirumi approached the rice bags. "Should we do rice for tonight? Since Ryoma is making the fire we could try to do actual cooking."

Rantaro nodded. "Sounds good." he glanced at the other types of food. "Is rice, a few biscuits, and a fruit okay for everyone?"

There were no objections. At least that sounded better than the canned food.

Miu came out of Kokichi's room, alone. After closing the door and coming down the stairs, she realized everyone was staring at her.

"... He's asleep. I don't think he'll wake up for a while."

"I think you do realize we need a description of what happened in the room so we can understand how they work." Kiyo replied. "Even if it's just to me and Shuichi."

"Hey, I think we need-" Tsumugi approached him but Kirumi put a hand on her shoulder.

"Kiyo is a therapist, I think we can trust him." she glanced at him. "He and Shuichi were in front of the room, so these two deserve an explanation. He can give us the important details later."

Kiyo looked a bit surprised but nodded. "Shuichi, Miu, we can talk in my room for now."

The violinist nodded. "I'm fine with this." Miu didn't seem to object.

The three made their way to the therapist's room, Shuichi noticing the prodigy's glance towards them.

The street artist sat down in the armchair with a sigh.

Kiyo brushed off his bed before sitting as Shuichi took the chair.

Miu made a brief description of what happened, not going too much into detail. Mostly what the voices said, and what was Kokichi's overall reaction.

The therapist looked disturbed, to say the least. "... I see."

He put his elbows on his legs, crossing his hands. "That's a low blow from the mastermind. They want us to be separated and then target the most mentally weak."

Shuichi gulped. "And they did their job pretty well..."

"I had my doubts that Kokichi had PTSD but now this is a certainty. I do not know how they managed to know the exact way to make him break down, but I can only be sure of one thing."

The two others looked at his disrupted expression.

_"The mastermind truly has no morals. I don't think we'll ever be able to resonate with them."_

This sent a chill down Shuichi's spine. He had his doubts, but hearing it from Kiyo felt different.

Hearing from a therapist that someone had no way to be redeemed...

Who even was capable of doing such things?

Miu stood up. "I'll be helping for dinner. Do you need anything else?"

Kiyo was caught off guard by the tone of her voice. The usually cheerful Miu was dead serious. "... No, that was all I needed to know. Thank you, you were of great help."

She left without a word.

Shuichi could only keep wondering what _exactly_ happened in there.

Kiyo seemed to be wondering the same. "I'm surprised. Impressed, even."

The violinist turned to him.

"She managed to handle the situation extremely well." he chuckled. "Perhaps I underestimated what she could do as a mother."

His weak grin faded away rather quickly. "Although I stand my point. The mastermind's moral codes are nonexistent."

He stood up. "We should go back to the others to think about a strategy for tomorrow. And point out some other important things to the rest of the group."

"Other important things?" Shuichi raised an eyebrow.

"... I will explain everything at dinner."

The two made their way to the rest of the group.

Miu and Kirumi were measuring the quantities of rice to eat, Ryoma and Rantaro were lighting up the fire outside and Kaito was putting a small table in front of the door to keep it open.

Tsumugi was absent, so Shuichi assumed she was in her room.

"You two." Kirumi turned to them. "Mind setting up the table? The cutlery is right here." she pointed at one of the pillars.

For some time, the group was silent. They quietly set up each bowl in front of each pillow they were using to sit comfortably.

Miu and Kirumi managed to cook enough rice thanks to the fire the soldiers had prepared.

Everyone -aside from Kokichi, who was still asleep in his room- sat down to eat.

The rice was a bit bland, it didn't have any seasoning because of the lack of resources. But at least it was cooked.

"So? May we have your report?" Tsumugi turned to the therapist.

He put down his rice bowl and chopsticks. "I've been trying to figure out the mechanisms behind this type of trap and I think I have a few theories."

"First off, Monokuma wants to separate us from each other. That's what we have seen from the physical traps."

"However, if we separate, there is a higher chance one of us falls into one of the psychological traps."

Rantaro frowned. "So there isn't an ideal strategy?"

The therapist shook his head. "We will have to find a balance. Those traps are not random. I do not think it's a coincidence Kokichi was the one affected."

Kirumi narrowed her eyes. "So the mastermind targets those who are most likely to break down. Those who would make easy targets."

"As much as it is disturbing, I think this is it."

A heavy silence fell upon them.

"... I see." Rantaro muttered.

"What I'm understanding is that those who think themselves as more likely to break down should team up with someone else so the trap doesn't activate." Tsumugi explained.

"Not necessarily." Kiyo countered. "Miu managed to get to Kokichi before the room locked itself. So two people could be in the room and the trap would still activate."

Ryoma pondered. "So the debate is about which people should be together in case something happens. Tsumugi is still right on her argument. However, it resides more on which person will be capable of helping the other rather than not activating the trap in the first place."

"Exactly."

They would have to think about ideal teams.

Shuichi felt bad for having to be one of those who will need someone else with them.

He knew he wasn't taking the game well.

_And the mastermind knew as well._

He shook his head. For now, they were just eating, and wouldn't have to worry about the motive until tomorrow.

"I think I should also mention this, but on our way back to the dorms we encountered no traps at all, even though we were a group of four." he added.

Ryoma narrowed his eyes. "You mean there's some kind of limit?"

Exactly like Shuichi thought.

"I think so. Or perhaps it has something to do with the fact that Miu and Kokichi already went through a trap for 2 and a half hours." he suggested.

"You mean because they were in the trap for a long time, the others didn't activate?" Rantaro asked.

"I think that theory is correct." Tsumugi nodded. "I do not think Monokuma would want them to go through more, for now."

It was both messed up and reassuring. At least there _was_ a limit.

Shuichi pondered for a moment. "There's something I don't really get..."

The others looked at him. "I know that my hearing is a bit more developed, but how come Miu, Kiyo and I be the only ones who heard Kokichi?"

He couldn't get the scream out of his head. It was terrifying.

Kiyo put a finger on his chin. "That's... A good question actually. Where were you around 3:30 PM?"

Kirumi started thinking. "I believe Ryoma and I were near Tenko's lab. That was where my lock was."

"Kaito and I were near his lab, I think." Rantaro answered.

"As for me, I believe I was in the dining hall, actually." Tsumugi admitted. "However I didn't hear anything from here."

Something on Kiyo's face made Shuichi think he didn't buy it but didn't say anything.

Kirumi frowned. "I feel like everything was set in place just to make sure there were as few people as possible on the fourth floor."

Rantaro looked back at his almost empty bowl of rice, frowning as well. "And we completely fell for it."

The group was silent for some time.

_The mastermind manipulated them so easily it hurt._

"Also..." Kiyo broke the silence. "While _he_ isn't here, I would like to ask a request to each of you."

He? Did he mean...

"Thanks to Miu I was able to understand a few things about Kokichi with what happened in the room."

She looked at him, although unreadable. Like she was making sure he didn't go into too much detail.

"The room had two sets of voices. One that was most likely here to make him remember explicit memories of trauma, as for the second set of voices... While I had my doubts at first, now I am certain this is something important to keep in mind for the rest of our stay in the academy."

Miu turned to the others. "The voice repeated the word 'rats' over and over."

He nodded. "This is what I wanted to talk about."

"Do any of you know what a 'trigger' is?"

Tsumugi placed her chopsticks down. "You mean a sound, a smell, or even a feeling, even though it looks insignificant, that can cause a very strong emotional reaction to someone, right?"

"And can also remind the person of a traumatic experience. It is one of the most common symptoms of PTSD." he added.

"In other words, I believe the word 'rats' has this impact on Kokichi. And thus I will ask you not to use this word from now on while he is around. Those types of traumas should never be taken lightly." Kiyo explained, a serious expression on his face.

One word being able to do so much...

That was a terrifying thought.

Shuichi could feel his hatred towards the mastermind growing.

Someone who deliberately created this, knowing the type of reaction it would cause.

He glanced at everyone else.

Was it really one of them? Was it someone hidden in the room behind the library all along?

He didn't know.

The group finished the meal as they accepted Kiyo's request. Washing the cutlery was pretty simple, and Shuichi put it back where it previously was.

Since Kokichi was asleep, Miu took a few biscuits, pieces of bread, and a fruit to put in his bedroom since he skipped dinner.

Ryoma and Rantaro were keeping an eye on the fire, wondering what they should do. They finally decided to extinguish it since they would probably have to go back to the fourth floor the next day, and someone could take new candles.

Today was exhausting for everyone, so they all went to sleep early.

They would have to go through this tomorrow.

And perhaps the day after.

Until Monokuma decides to make this stop.

Shuichi closed his eyes and slowly fell asleep, trying to push the worry away.

...

-

...

_"3 done. 4 left."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact! I had this scene planned for m o n t h s. Finally some fresh fucking comfort.
> 
> Also you can see from the flashback with Miu and Rantaro that I'm still salty about Kaito not talking about his own issues in V3. Let the space himbo express his feelings ffs


	27. Chapter 4: Dance, dance, hanged puppets - Daily life (part 4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Miu seems to have taken care of the situation, fortunately. However, the Sanzu garden may be more dangerous than they ever imagined.

Day 15 since the beginning of the game.

7:30 AM.

Shuichi slowly opened his eyes.

Because of the roughness of the previous day, he actually slept pretty well.

He blinked a few times, getting up from his bed.

Just thinking back about the events yesterday made him worry about what would happen today.

Or even how were the others.

Miu looked beyond mad after getting trapped with Kokichi in the room. And Kokichi... He had no idea how he was holding up.

Even Kiyo was starting to lose patience with the motive.

The violinist took a shower and left his room.

To his surprise, three people were already there, having breakfast. Rantaro, Kirumi, and... Kokichi?

It has been a while since he has seen him with the rest of the group. Between the disease and... the self-isolation, seeing him was quite surprising, in a good way.

Perhaps his talk with Miu did more than he imagined.

"Hey there. Did you sleep well?" Rantaro reached for a cracker.

Shuichi sat down. "I'm fine... Mostly."

Kirumi gave him the pack for him to eat. "Great. Eat something. You'll need it for later."

After thanking her and eating a cracker, he turned to Kokichi. "How are you holding up?"

He weakly smiled but didn't look at him in the eyes. "I'm fine, although I couldn't sleep after 6 AM, so I pretty much waited outside until Kirumi showed up."

She let out a chuckle. "You were looking outside, back turned to the rooms waiting for something to happen."

"I was watching the sunrise!" he exclaimed, pouting.

Shuichi giggled with the others. It was nice to see him in a good mood.

Soon after, Ryoma, Miu, Kiyo, Tsumugi, and Kaito joined in one by one. 

The therapist and street artist were quite relieved to see Kokichi out of his room, asking how he was feeling. Although he was quite nervous, he said that he would wait until the end of the breakfast to talk. That he needed to prepare himself.

By glancing at the biker, he realized it looked like he wanted to do something, but couldn't bring himself to do so.

... Perhaps he should try to group with him for the morning locks.

Looking at everyone else, Shuichi felt a warm feeling in his heart. Almost everyone seemed close, aside from Tsumugi who for some reason never tried to speak (and didn't seem to complain from the lack of attention she was getting) and Kaito who looked more nervous but spoke some words at times.

Even Ryoma was talking to Rantaro.

Even Kirumi was starting to talk to others, though she was a bit quieter.

Even Kokichi was slowly starting to open up.

Was there really a mastermind among them? The question kept tormenting him over and over.

A part of him wanted to believe it was someone in the hidden room.

A part of him refused to believe one of his friends was a traitor.

_A traitor without any morals._

He shook his head. He realized the game was slowly but surely getting to him.

Around 8:30 AM, the breakfast ended. It was now time to go out to get the locks.

"B-Before we go I want to say something." Kokichi got the attention of everybody, although it was clear he was very nervous.

There was a moment of silence as he was hesitating, but he smiled when Miu gave him a thumbs-up.

"I want..." he started. "I want to change. It's true, I miss Himiko a lot and... And I want to see her again, but I want to be able to move on."

Shuichi was surprised. He wasn't the same person as yesterday.

"And... And to move on I want to bring justice to Himiko... I know I am partially at fault for what happened to her and I'll never truly forgive myself for it but..." he glanced away for a moment.

"... But what happened wasn't karma. I... I know Monokuma is at fault here so I want to bring him down! I want to know who is behind this and stop them! I want to bring full justice to Himiko! I want to help you guys reach for the truth!" he exclaimed.

Everyone seemed more or less surprised. Miu arbored a large smile, went up to him and wrapped an arm around his neck. "Way to go, spooky boy!" the small boy was startled by the gesture, trying to get Miu off of him. "I'm proud of ya!"

He looked at her and smiled. "T-Thank you, Miu."

The others were quite confused by what just happened. Shuichi managed to get a glance at Rantaro, smiling in relief.

On the contrary, Kaito seemed almost upset, although he was trying to hide it.

Ryoma chuckled. "Glad to see you have some bite in you, kid."

Kirumi crossed her arms, a small hint of a smile on her face. "The more we are motivated to stop the mastermind, the better."

Miu punched the palm of her hand. "I won't forgive whoever is doing this to us! First, we'll get through this motive, then we'll get to them and kick their ass!"

The others seemed to catch this motivation. Although... Tsumugi looked stoic as usual. She seemed almost troubled.

"... For now, let's just settle with the locks, shall we?"

The others prepared themselves to go. This time they would have to think through this. Not to be alone yet not too many at the same time.

After some thinking, the groups were made.

Shuichi would go with Kaito since he asked the biker- who accepted.

Miu would go with Kokichi, the young woman wanting to stay by his side.

Rantaro and Kirumi would go together, they would also take more medical supplies just in case.

Kiyo and Ryoma would be the last duo.

As for Tsumugi, she wished to be alone once again.

_Was she that confident in herself?_

Everyone took a look at their riddles.

_The lion and the rat._

_Knowing your enemy will guide you to your salute._

... What did that even mean?

His enemy... Well, it was Monokuma. And whoever was keeping them here. Then it could be the shrine of judgment...

But was it that simple? The shrine may be far but that looked way too easy.

Was there another enemy? Was the riddle hinting at himself? Then it could be his lab...

He unconsciously groaned in frustration.

Rantaro seemed to have noticed it and approached the violinist.

"Are you okay?"

Shuichi showed his riddle. "I'm trying to find the meaning of this one... But it looks too simple. Monokuma would be the type to tell us the enemy is ourselves."

The medic hummed. "Perhaps it was made to throw the doubt. Our enemy is Monokuma, plain and simple. The shrine is far away, so it may be intentional."

He frowned. "Which means more possible traps..."

Rantaro sighed. "Just make sure you tell me in case something goes wrong."

"I will, thank you." He nodded. "I think I'll check both my lab and the shrine of judgment just in case."

The green-eyed teen kept staring at the riddle. "The lion and the rat... I feel like I've heard it somewhere although I can't put my finger on it."

"The lion and the rat, you say?"

Tsumugi approached the two.

"Do you know what that means?" Shuichi asked.

She put a finger on her chin. "The lion and the rat is a popular fable from Jean de La Fontaine, a French poet from the 17th century. From what I can remember, the lion is trapped in a net and cannot use brute force to get out. The rat, smarter, gnawed on the rope, freeing the lion. The moral of the story is that with patience and carefulness you can accomplish greater things."

She stared at the other two with a cold gaze. "Although it could also mean that the smart will thrive against the strong. Which could apply to our current situation."

Shuichi felt a chill run down his spine. Rantaro, however, was unphased. "You are right on this point. But let's not bring down the atmosphere, shall we?"

The prodigy murmured a "Sure, whatever you say." and left.

This felt extremely ominous, and he didn't like it at all.

"... Anyway. Do you have any clue now?" Rantaro asked him.

'The smart will thrive against the strong'... Perhaps...

"I know this sounds silly but... What about Tsumugi's lab? She was the one to know about the poem, and that would fit what she says, right?"

Rantaro put a finger on his chin. "That sounds plausible."

At least he was set.

Kaito also seemed to have an idea of the location of his locks. Apparently, they were at the gym and the game room.

For now, the two decided to get the locks on the main building.

Just like the day before, they agreed on taking food once they were done with the morning locks. Each group took a pot with them in case they ended up in charge of the food.

Shuichi and Kaito left after Kirumi and Rantaro.

The two guys stepped outside as the door closed.

"So... Which ones should we activate first?" Shuichi broke the silence.

"I dunno... You said yours were in Tsumugi's lab and either the shrine of judgment or your lab?" the biker replied.

He nodded. "Perhaps we should check my lab first before trying to go to the shrine, we would take fewer risks."

Kaito pondered for a moment. "Then maybe we could check the game room for me, your lab just in case and Tsumugi's lab if it isn't there?"

"Sounds good."

The two started walking slowly. Perhaps there would be more traps than the day before. They could not afford to be careless.

But just a few meters later, Shuichi felt his foot going deeper than usual.

He looked down to see that he stepped on a trapped stone.

Several turrets came out of the ground on the sides of the path.

They exchanged a quick glance and ran towards the building as the turrets shot arrows at them.

Kaito seemed to have more trouble running, surprisingly, almost stumbling on his feet. Shuichi didn't think- he grabbed his hand as an attempt to help him and continued running.

They reached the door and immediately closed it, slamming their backs against it, panting.

"Ah... Ah... I can't feel my legs..." Shuichi slid down the door to the ground.

"Thanks for the help back there, man..." the biker replied, almost as exhausted.

The violinist looked up. "Are you okay though? You looked like you couldn't even run..."

Kaito shook his head. "It's nothing... Don't worry about it."

He was pretty sure it wasn't nothing.

"Let's just... Go to the game room." he changed the subject and started walking towards the stairs to the basement.

And yet he was still slightly limping.

It was almost unnoticeable, but it was there.

Shuichi could only keep worrying.

He followed behind, not daring to ask.

The two entered the game room, an uncomfortable silence between them. Kaito approached the podium and put his card on it. But just as the jingle echoed in the room, a door slammed behind them, startling the two.

Shuichi panicked and ran to the exit. It was just like the door blocking Kokichi's lab yesterday.

Kaito, furious, approached the door and slammed his fist on it. "Hey! Let us out!"

... Nothing.

They were trapped here.

The biker kicked the door full force, and as expected, nothing happened.

 _That must have hurt._ Shuichi thought.

"It's no use... We'll just have to wait. It was the same yesterday. it took two hours to unlock."

Kaito groaned as he leaned on one of the walls.

Fortunately, there wasn't any kind of voices to torment them. The room was dead silent.

After long minutes of nothing, Shuichi got an idea. Perhaps he could talk to him.

He broke the silence. "I uh..."

Finding the right words was hard.

"You looked upset this morning... Are you... Okay?"

The biker sighed, turning away. "Yeah, it's just..."

He was looking for what he should say.

"I dunno... Ever since Miu talked to me two days ago I don't know what to think."

He thought back at the words, at everything she said.

 _“... You’re nothing like the biker I admired for so long. The Kaito Momota I admired gave money to children in hospitals, won every race he competed in with passion and hard work, even with_ that _in the way. He cared for his gang like a family and rejected offers of sponsorship from anything other than charity.”_

_“The one standing in front of me is yelling at everyone to protect his own ego. And right now I’m feeling bad over one single thing.”_

_“It’s that in reality, you are nothing like the Kaito Momota I used to look up to as a hero.”_

Now that he thought about it, he didn't know Kaito that much.

Did those words manage to shake his pride that much?

"I mean I..." he paused, then put his face in his palms, elbows on the bar. "Fuck- I don't know how to confront her after that."

The violinist thought for a moment. "You know, she does care about you. She told me she wanted to shake some sense out of you because you were acting differently-"

"But what am I supposed to say??" he grabbed him by the shoulders. "I killed someone Shuichi! I fucking killed Keebo I..."

He paused, glancing away. "I know I didn't want to admit it but... That's the truth. I killed Keebo. Tsumugi is right." he chuckled bitterly. "I'm nothing more than a filthy murderer now."

Shuichi winced. "Kaito you... It was an incident, you didn't want to kill him, right?"

"That's not the point!"

"Listen-" the violinist paused. "Tsumugi... Was a bit harsh. The flashback lights did something to Keebo. None of us could have done better."

He went silent for a moment. "Yeah but... Still... It's my maintenance mistake that killed him."

It was Kokichi all over again.

Shuichi wasn't Miu, he didn't know what to say.

"I... Actually no. I can't even imagine how you feel right now. But..." he gave the biker a weak smile. "You have my support. And I'm sure Miu supports you too. Hell- I'm sure you could talk to Kiyo or Kokichi about this."

Kaito visibly winced at the mention of the latter. "Kokichi huh..."

The violinist thought back at what happened this morning. Were the two on bad terms?

"Miu's taking care of him now, isn't she? I'll probably ask Kiyo about this..."

Something in Shuichi's mind clicked.

"Kaito..." he turned to him. "Are you... Perhaps... Jealous?"

The biker immediately turned to him, frowning. "What? No I- Why would I be jealous?"

"I..." Shuichi tried to find the right words. But he knew he was right. "This morning when Miu encouraged Kokichi for his speech you looked upset... You don't hate Kokichi, do you?"

"No! Why would I hate him?"

"I'm not exactly good at this but... I feel like you're jealous Miu is taking care of Kokichi and not talking to you anymore... Am I wrong?"

Kaito was speechless. But it felt like there was more to it.

"Or maybe..." he continued. "It's because Kokichi had the courage to tell us he wanted to move on and change?"

He visibly flinched, glancing away.

_Bullseye._

"I..." he bitterly chuckled. "That lil' shit is a lot stronger than he lets know. That's for sure."

"It's because he accepted Miu's help. I don't know what exactly happened when they were locked together yesterday, but that's because he accepted someone's help that he got this confidence."

Shuichi smiled at him, extending a hand. "Let's start from scratch and face this killing game together, alright?"

Kaito seemed hesitant but smiled back. "Thank you."

He shook his hand.

"No problem. Just talk to me if you need to, okay?"

"Hey, hey, no need to be sappy. I just want this stupid game to be over already and go back home."

_I'll take that as a 'yes'._

Suddenly, the door opened.

The two instinctively looked at each other.

That was clearly not a coincidence the door opened when they were done talking.

Was the mastermind listening to them? Or was it Monokuma?

The latter seemed the most logical. But... Why? Doesn't he want to make them feel despair? That didn't make any sense.

He would think about it later.

For now, they had to check Shuichi's lab to see if the lock was here.

Surprisingly, no traps activated on their way to the second floor.

Shuichi opened his lab to take a look inside and...

Nothing was there.

He should have guessed that Monokuma wouldn't put locks in the same place twice.

He thought back at the riddle.

_Knowing your enemy will guide you to your salute._

So the enemy was Monokuma. That felt odd, but somehow it was reassuring.

Now that he thought about it, perhaps the word 'salute' could parallel with the shrine... Or perhaps he was thinking too much.

Their walk on the third floor was silent until they reached the set of stairs to the fourth floor.

Shuichi could hear people talking in Rantaro's lab.

He gestured Kaito to be quiet so he could listen.

_"I never had to deal with people like you before."_

_"My kind is quite rare, you should know that."_

Rantaro and Kirumi respectively. What were they talking about?

_"Why do you have such a job then? You should know better than to do this."_

_"I didn't have a choice. Besides I took advantage of this body. It is not a weakness for me. It is a strength. An advantage I have and thus I am more efficient."_

Somehow this felt very wrong. He approached the door of the lab, leaving the confused Kaito near the stairs.

He gently opened the door.

A horrifying sight appeared before him.

Kirumi was sitting on a chair without the top part of her outfit, a huge wound on her shoulder and blood dripping down her body. She was abnormally calm. Rantaro was tending to her wound, a ball of soaking blood pink cotton in his hand.

"K-Kirumi?? What happened to you?" Shuichi stuttered.

"Hello, Shuichi. Do you mind closing the door, please?" she replied, a bit too calm considering her current state.

He did as told, and yet his eyes couldn't drift away from the bright pink blood dripping from her shoulder.

"We were caught in a trap and Kirumi was almost impaled by a spear but it still pierced a part of her shoulder, so right now I am treating her wounds." Rantaro explained. "It looks like you have nothing too serious. But I will ask you not to overwork yourself."

"Unfortunately we have to go back this afternoon so we can activate the second lock. I will have to rest later." she replied.

Shuichi was still in shock. But worst of all, how was Kirumi so calm? Sure, she must have been trained to continue despite being injured but it felt odd.

"How... can you be so calm about this?" he hesitantly asked.

She sighed. "And here I hoped you would be the only one to know about this, Rantaro."

Did he miss something?

"It just had to happen one day." he replied, taking disinfectant from the drawers. "Kirumi has CIP."

He blinked in confusion.

"Congenital insensitivity to pain. In short, I cannot feel physical pain. But the wound is still here and will hurt me in the long term if it isn't treated." the mercenary explained. "I took advantage of this for my job and it lets me be more efficient, but I am aware of the risks."

"If you could please not speak to anybody else about this, that would be nice." she added.

"U-Understood." Shuichi stuttered, still not over the vision of blood and Kirumi being so calm. This felt almost more frightening than if she was feeling the pain. "I'm gonna leave you two for now... Kaito is waiting for me."

He quickly slipped out of the lab, not looking back.

Kaito's head was peeking into the corridor, looking at Shuichi. "You good?"

"Let's just move on." he muttered.

As they went to the fourth floor, Kaito asked "What happened? You look pale."

He couldn't tell the full truth. "I just saw Kirumi with a giant wound on her shoulder and Rantaro taking care of her."

Kaito bit his lip. "Ouch. Is she okay?"

He shook his head. "She's fine, it's just that the sight wasn't pretty to look at."

~~Although he couldn't deny that Kirumi was far from the ugliest girl he met.~~

_Not now, pesky thoughts._

The two made their way to Tsumugi's lab. Fortunately this time, Shuichi's lock was in. He passed his card and the two left the floor.

They did activate a trap on the second floor and ended up running for their lives again.

Fortunately, nothing else happened on their way to the dining hall.

"Soooo what are we taking to eat?" Kaito asked, still panting from the run.

Shuichi looked inside the drawers. "We could try taking some seasoning with more rice and pasta... And maybe some cereal?"

"Sounds good to me. Perhaps some fruits too?"

The two started stocking the ingredients in the pot they had. At least now they had enough until the next day if they add this to the food stocks they already have.

Just as they left the dining hall, Ryoma and Kiyo were entering.

"Did you two take enough?" the smaller man was straight to the point.

"We have until at least tomorrow, I think." Shuichi answered.

Kiyo looked at the drawers. "We will still take some food just in case. We will join you later."

The violinist nodded and the two went back to the dorms.

As they entered, they realized no one was there. Until...

Tsumugi opened the door of her room.

"You guys came back, I see." she noted.

Shuichi could still see the uneasiness in Kaito's eyes.

"Yeah, we have more food too."

She nodded. "That's good. I suppose the others will arrive shortly."

Considering what he saw in Rantaro's lab, maybe not.

Wait, why was Tsumugi here? They agreed on taking food from the kitchen if they were done early. Yet they hadn't seen the prodigy in a while. Which means she didn't respect her part of the deal.

"Hold on, you didn't bring anything from the dining hall?" Kaito seemed to have realized the same.

She fixed her glasses. "I had important matters to attend to. Now if you'll excuse me, I will go back to my room."

Right before she turned away, Shuichi noticed a hint of regret in her eyes.

The door of her room closed.

_What was that?_

The others arrived two by two. Kiyo and Ryoma with a pot full of potatoes and fruits, and later Kirumi and Rantaro, the former apparently bandaged up, but her uniform was still ripped from the trap they mentioned.

...

Some time passed before Shuichi was starting to get worried. Miu and Kokichi still hadn't come back and it was noon. Were they okay?

Just as he thought that, Kokichi entered the dining hall, panting. _And Miu wasn't there._

"I... I have a problem. Miu is locked in the gym and the door is locked." he explained.

Shuichi stood up. "What?"

"I-I don't know! As soon as I stepped out the gym, the door closed behind me and Miu is stuck here!" he exclaimed. "She has been here for an hour now, she told me to get one of you guys or something!"

Rantaro frowned. "Wait, she told you? The door wasn't soundproof?"

He shook his head. "No, she is just stuck here... And there aren't any voices like for me yesterday..."

Kaito stood up. "I'll go."

"I'll go too!" Shuichi instinctively said. "I... I want to help her too."

Ryoma narrowed his eyes. "Don't you think three of you will be dangerous?"

The violinist was determined. "Don't worry about us, we'll be fine."

Rantaro was still a bit skeptical. "Just tell me if something happens."

He nodded.

The three went out to the main building. Thankfully they didn't activate any traps.

They continued through the first floor in the main corridor, Kokichi always ahead of them from a few meters.

Everything was going fine until a click was heard.

Kokichi froze. He was the one who stepped on a pressure plate.

Turrels came out of the ceiling and the ground, sharp spears poking out of them.

_"Kokichi, look out!!"_

Everything went so fast.

Kaito ran up to him and pushed him out of the way.

The boy fell to the ground a few meters away.

When Shuichi, who had closed his eyes, not wanting to see this, opened them back, he felt his heart stop.

Although most spears had missed their target...

_... Kaito was left with a giant spear piercing his leg._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops
> 
> I'm really sorry for taking more time than usual! I was caught up in several events at once and I was slower than usual. Plus:  
> \- I am remaking all the official artworks! I will update the icons and the post-death indicators when I'm done.  
> \- Yeah I'm self-advertising I can do what I want- I'm organizing an event on Tumblr, the training trio week! More info here: https://trainingtrioweek.tumblr.com/


	28. Chapter 4: Dance, dance, hanged puppets - Daily life (part 5)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The motive continues to haunt and hurt them. Things are slowly but surely going downhill. Kaito also seems to be in big trouble...

...

Kaito froze.

Kokichi and Shuichi were staring in horror, unable to mutter a single word.

The biker looked down at his left leg, pierced by an iron spear.

And to the other two's surprise...

He laughed. A nervous laugh echoed across the corridor.

What... What the hell? Wasn't he hurt? Was he like Kirumi? Unable to feel pain?

No, he had seen him take painkillers the other day, that wasn't possible.

Then how?

And that's when he realized.

He hadn't noticed it because of the shock but...

_There was no blood on the spear. Not a single speck of it._

Was it the angle that made him think the spear was in his leg?

That theory was immediately shut down when Kaito took a step forward, the spear moving with him.

Shuichi couldn't even begin to understand.

"I guess I had to tell you guys one day or another, huh..."

He looked way too calm for someone with a spear in his leg.

He crouched down, grabbed the weapon, and pulled it out without hesitation.

Shuichi couldn't help but flinch even though the absence of blood was extremely strange. Kokichi was as shocked as him.

But the moment the weapon was pulled out, Shuichi noticed _them_.

Small bits of metal and plastic falling to the ground.

Did that mean...?

"Huh??" Kokichi's eyes went wide. "K-Kaito! You shouldn't pull out weapons like that! It's gonna get worse!"

The biker reached for his knee. Although Shuichi couldn't fully understand what was going on, Kaito seemed to know what he was doing.

After a small click, Kaito reached for his ankle and...

He pulled out a prosthetic leg with a huge hole in it.

Everything became clear. The limping. The inability to run.

_Kaito never had a left leg in the first place._

Shuichi felt like he was about to collapse from relief.

Kokichi on the other hand looked absolutely terrified.

"W-w-what???? Kaito, your leg- A-Are you okay? Are you-"

The biker put down the damaged leg and raised his hands. "Relax, Kokichi, it's a prosthetic leg. I'm fine."

"A what?"

Kaito blinked a few times in confusion. "You... Don't know what that is?"

Kokichi, who had approached him, took the leg hesitantly. "It's... Plastic?"

"I lost my left leg three years ago and now I put this fake one on to keep living normally."

However, something didn't add up.

"But... Aren't you the ultimate biker? Shouldn't you need both legs?"

He chuckled. "That's what hard work is. It took me a while to get used to it, but I'm more than capable of racing with it! That lil' jewel was made specifically for me so it weighs the same as my other leg. But uh..."

He scratched his neck. "It's kinda broken now."

So many moments came back to Shuichi's mind.

When he said he didn't want to do a pool party.

When he woke up and seemed to struggle to get to the door to answer Shuichi's knocking.

When he took painkillers without telling anyone.

Whenever he was limping.

Shuichi felt like an idiot for not noticing sooner.

"You... Managed to win all your competitions... With a fake leg?" he still couldn't believe it.

"Yup! And no one even knew!" he exclaimed, proud of himself. "Although... One person knows besides you two."

Kokichi tilted his head to the side. "Who?"

Just as he asked the question, footsteps were heard from the other side of the hallway.

Miu stared at the group for a moment.

"I wanted to be happy to see you guys but what the hell is going on here?"

"Uh..."

She approached the three and stared at Kokichi, who still had the prosthetic leg in his hands. "Kaito." She then turned to the biker. "What the _fuck_ happened."

Kokichi's eyes widened. "Wait... You are the one who knew about this?"

"Of course I know! He told me ages ago!"

That wasn't really surprising actually.

Now that he thought about it, her words the other day now made sense.

 _"The Kaito Momota I admired gave money to children in hospitals, won every race he competed in with passion and hard work, even with_ that _in the way."_

Even with _that_ in the way... So that was what she meant.

...

_What else had he been missing??_

"Well uh..." he scratched his neck. "We came to try and get you out but we activated a trap and now they know about my leg."

The girl looked at the multiple spears on the wall with concern. "Sheesh, you were lucky to even be alive."

"Perhaps..." Kaito turned to Kokichi. "... There's more than just luck here."

The small boy's eyes widened in realization.

"You think... You weren't hurt at all because you pushed Kokichi out of the way?" Shuichi asked.

Kokichi smiled weakly. "Looks like you got karma on your side... Thanks a lot, Kaito."

The biker chuckled. "Don't sweat it! Besides it was about time I tell you guys about uh..." he gestured to the absent limb. "This."

Miu sighed. "You're a disaster, you know that?"

"Yes, Miu. I know. Can we go back now?"

Shuichi extended his hand. "Do you need some help to walk?"

Kaito waved a hand. "Nah, I just need to put it back on for now. Can you guys uh... Look away?"

Miu chuckled. "Come on... I know no one minds seeing your beautiful legs~"

He went red instantly as Kokichi and Shuichi turned back. "Shut up!"

After a few minutes, Kaito stood back up, a huge hole in his 'leg' that was quite disturbing to look at. "We good?"

Miu ruffled his hair. "I should be asking _you_ that, dumbass!"

"I'm sorry!"

"You better be! I was fuckin' worried about you!"

"I know, I know!"

The two childishly bickered as they started walking away.

Kokichi and Shuichi exchanged concerned glances.

"... At least they're good now?"

"Let's just go along with it."

The two followed behind, not wanting to disturb a reconstructing friendship.

Shuichi broke the silence. "I was worried about Kaito but it looks like your karma saved him after all."

Kokichi looked away for a moment. "Y-Yeah... It does that sometimes. But perhaps the spears were programmed to miss me from the beginning."

"But Kaito pushing you away really did something, right? I don't think they could program where he would stand, and what were the odds he would get out of this unharmed?"

The smaller one thought for a moment. "Maybe you're right."

Shuichi smiled at him. Karma may be terrifying, but it rewards good people in the end.

But now that he thought about it, Kaito getting the spear in his fake leg was a miracle. If he was shot in his real leg then...

He preferred not to ponder over this.

-

They reached back the dorms, and just as they opened the door, the reactions were quite funny to watch.

The concern on their faces was clear, and Shuichi even noticed Rantaro chocking on water as his eyes landed on Kaito.

Kiyo put down his cup. "I think we need an explanation."

The biker scratched his neck. "Yeah... I should have told you sooner."

He explained everything he had told Shuichi and Kokichi. From when he lost his leg, to the training he did with the fake leg to when he got shot by the spear earlier.

Rantaro seemed relieved he didn't have to heal this, but Ryoma was more concerned about a way to repair the prosthetic leg.

"Well... There is only debris back there, I don't think you could have salvaged something. But I can try to bring them back here if it helps." Kaito explained.

"I don't know how this was made, since you said that was a unique model. And I don't trust Monokuma to repair it nor to give you a new one." Ryoma replied.

Kirumi pondered. "Do you think you can repair it? Our resources are quite low at the moment. Although that would be better than letting Monokuma handle it."

"Then how about getting tools from the warehouse! Isn't it what you used until now?" Miu exclaimed, turning to the engineer.

Ryoma adjusted his beanie. "That's what I was thinking. Although we will have to be careful. Besides, there are a lot of tools to bring, so I'll need at least one other person to help."

Rantaro raised his hand. "I can help if needed."

The weapons maker nodded. "Thanks."

The group ate a rather cheap lunch since Kirumi couldn't -or rather shouldn't, but pretended she couldn't- move her right arm, and Miu had just come back.

Kaito changed pants so no one would have to stare at the hole in the leg. Even he found it quite disturbing.

The groups for the afternoon changed quite a lot.

Miu and Kaito went together.

Ryoma and Rantaro grouped.

Tsumugi insisted to be with someone and went with Kokichi. Which was quite strange considering how she always wanted to be alone.

Kirumi and Shuichi formed the last duo.

And finally, Kiyo went alone.

The mercenary approached Shuichi. "So, where is your lock?"

He turned on his monopad to look at the riddle. "I think it's at the shrine of judgment... Do you think that's it?"

She looked at the riddle and pondered for a moment. "It sounds too easy to be something Monokuma would do."

"I know that, and yet the lock wasn't in my lab..." he replied.

She raised an eyebrow. "Really? Hmm. Strange. The shrine is far away, but I do not see any other possibility."

Shuichi nodded. "And where is your other lock?"

"Strangely enough, my guess is Maki's lab." Kirumi replied.

That didn't seem that strange. After all, Shuichi's lock was in Tsumugi's lab.

They watched Rantaro and Ryoma leave after Kiyo. They were next.

"So, which lock do we get to first?" the violinist asked her.

Kirumi pondered for a moment. "Mine is closer. Perhaps we could do this one first if you don't mind. It's simply in case my shoulder injury gets worse so I can rest after."

Shuichi shook his head. "It's okay, yours is a priority for now."

The two headed out.

Just as the door closed, the blue-eyed boy turned to the young woman. "Is your shoulder alright?"

She sighed. "I am afraid I do not know. I will rest after we go back to the dorms. I know my limits and it would be preferable that the others do not know about this. I can only play pretend for so long."

The two started walking.

"... Why don't you want others to know about this? Kaito told us about his leg." Shuichi broke the silence.

"And yet he hid it from us. Your argument is not exactly valid."

Fair.

"But still... Did it cause you trouble before?"

She paused to think her words through. "... It is mostly a matter of efficiency. I do not wish to be an easy prey to a potential killer."

Shuichi frowned. "How so? You don't feel the pain, right?"

She looked at him with a mix of disappointment and concern. "You... Do not know what CIP is all about, don't you?"

Absolutely not.

"I mean... You could easily fight back, right?" he tried to counter her.

"CIP is a double-edged sword. On one hand, I get to be way more efficient on missions, on the other hand, I miss the slightest injuries I can do to myself. Even biting my tongue doesn't make me feel anything. When wounds are not treated, they can be fatal. And not being able to feel pain is probably the worst for whoever is trying to heal you." Kirumi explained.

"Of course I am on guard all the time, but one mistake during a fight could lead me to a death I would not even feel."

Shuichi winced. She was more vulnerable than he first thought.

Perhaps keeping her secret would be for the best.

They could only pray that no traps would activate-

_*clic!*_

_..._

God. Damnit.

Two walls came out of the ground from each side of the road and slowly started to closer- ready to crush them. Another wall raised behind them so they couldn't escape from behind.

Kirumi immediately started running forward, a strong grip on Shuichi's wrist. The exit to this trap was the door to the main building.

The violinist had trouble keeping up but did his best anyway.

The walls and the exit getting closer to them, Kirumi used all her strength to throw Shuichi forward, before the walls got too close.

He almost fell on the stairs but managed to keep his balance.

The mercenary jumped next to him.

She immediately placed her left hand below her shirt to touch her shoulder and took it out to stare at it.

Now that he thought about it, she _did_ use her right hand to throw him out. Was she okay?

"... Damn it." she said as she stared at her slightly pink stained palm.

"Did it reopen?" Shuichi asked, worried.

"I think so, but now isn't the time. The quicker we get to the lock, the quicker I can rest."

He nodded. "Just... Don't overwork yourself."

She bitterly chuckled. "I do not have a choice at the moment."

The two entered the main building and approached the stairs going to the second floor. Thankfully, no other traps activated.

"Maki's lab is just above. I do not think you have to accompany me there." Kirumi turned to the violinist.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded. "I already got in trouble. It would be better if you don't as well."

He thought for a moment. "... Alright. Just be careful."

She nodded. "Do not worry about me."

"Wait!-"

Kirumi turned back. "Yes?"

"I'll try to see if there are any tools in the warehouse you can get to the dorms, do you think you'll be able to handle it?"

She hummed. "Perhaps something light. I will only use my left hand."

He nodded. "I'll see what I can do."

The mercenary went up the stairs, disappearing from his view.

Shuichi slowly made his way there, and thankfully no traps activated.

He opened the warehouse. It was in the same state as usual.

However, he noticed a piece of paper under one of the boxes, folded several times.

He reached for the paper and unfolded it.

His eyes widened. It was the same type of paper he saw the other day in the dorms.

.. / ..-. . . .-.. / .-.. .. -.- . / - .... . .-. . / .. ... / -- --- .-. . / .-. .- - .. --- -. .- .-.. .. - -.-- / - --- / - .... .. ... / - .... .- -. / .. / ..-. .. .-. ... - / - .... --- ..- --. .... -

~

.... --- .-- / ... --- ..--.. / -.-- --- ..- / .... .- ...- . / ... . . -. / .-- .... .- - / - .... . -.-- / .- .-. . / -.. --- .. -. --. / - --- / ..- ...

~

.. / -.. --- ..- -... - / - .... . / -- .- ... - . .-. -- .. -. -.. / .-- --- ..- .-.. -.. / ... .. -- .--. .-.. -.-- / .-- .- -. - / - --- / -- .- -.- . / ..- ... / ... ..- ..-. ..-. . .-. / .- -. -.. / -.- .. .-.. .-.. / . .- -.-. .... / --- - .... . .-.  
.. / -.- -. --- .-- / - .... . .-. . / .. ... / -- --- .-. . / - --- / - .... .. ... / -... ..- - / .. / -.. --- / -. --- - / .... .- ...- . / .- / ... .-.. .. --. .... - / .. -.. . .- / --- ..-. / .-- .... .- - / - .... . .. .-. / .-. . .- .-.. / .. -. - . -. - .. --- -. ... / .- .-. .

... He still couldn't read morse code. _Damn it_.

Who was writing these? Why? Who even knew morse code here?

He heard some noise in the hallway coming here.

Shuichi panicked. What if they saw him with this?

He quickly placed the paper where it was and hid behind one of the huge shelves.

The door opened. The violinist tried to get a glimpse of who was in here.

And here, looking around to check if no one was there was...

_... Rantaro?_

After his (unsuccessful) check, he reached for the paper to the ground and left the warehouse without even unfolding it.

How did he know a paper was there? Was he the author?

_What was he hiding?_

Once the sound of the footsteps faded away, he left the warehouse to get back to the stairs, so many questions running through his mind.

About a minute later, Kirumi came back. "I'm done."

... Now that he thought about it, he hadn't check if she could bring something back to the dorms.

Oh well, she shouldn't overwork herself anyway.

"Everything was in organized boxes and I didn't know which ones had the tools... And I thought you shouldn't do much with your injury."

She weakly smiled. "Thank you for the concern, but I am fine."

Thankfully, the two only encountered one easily avoidable arrow trap on their way back.

Kirumi went back to the dorms as Shuichi was left alone to go to the shrine.

Just seeing the distance between the dorms and this cursed building gave him cold sweats. Who knows how many traps will activate? Besides he is alone now. Who knows if he is going to get a trap similar to Kokichi's yesterday?

He braced himself and started walking.

Fortunately, his walk to the shrine was calm enough.

Shuichi hesitated to go into the shrine. He knew what was waiting for him. But he didn't have a choice.

He opened the door, spotting a lock in front of the fountain.

Taking out his card, he took a deep breath, passed it on the lock, and...

... Nothing happened aside from the jingle.

He sighed in relief.

But that looked too easy.

Way too easy.

The violinist stepped out of the shrine, still on guard.

And just after taking a few steps, he heard a loud noise.

Walls rose from the sides, and the road started crumbling down in what looked like a bottomless pit.

Shuichi ran as fast as he could. This time Kirumi wasn't there to help him.

He managed to get just in time on the stairs, which were the end of this nightmare.

He looked at the walls disappearing, and the giant pit replacing the pathway.

_Monokuma sure knew that he hated heights._

Shuichi took a breath and continued his way to the dorms.

... Perhaps he could try to help Ryoma and Rantaro get the tools.

He didn't know if he should confront Rantaro about what he saw in the warehouse.

He shook his head and made his way to the main building. _It was time to stop being useless for once_ , he thought.

After all, most of them were playing an important role in the group, keeping them together.

Whether it was Rantaro and his medicine, Miu with her caring mother attitude, Ryoma with his engineering, Tsumugi with her high intelligence, Kiyo with his therapist knowledge, Kirumi with her mercenary skills...

_He felt useless._

And looking at Kaito and Kokichi... Both had the will to change for the best, even after the events of the last few days.

He was the only one who didn't change at all.

Time to change this. To prove he could be of help.

Shuichi made his way to the main building, and thankfully no traps activated.

The walk to the warehouse was silent.

He gently opened the door and saw Rantaro rummaging through a box in the distance. Judging by how he didn't look back, he probably didn't hear him.

The violinist approached him, not sure whether or not to talk about what he saw earlier.

But just as he moved his hand to his shoulder, he felt a sudden strong grip on his wrist.

Shuichi couldn't even apprehend what was happening.

He felt his legs failing him and being pushed to the ground on his back. His arms were under him, legs unable to move and more importantly, a strong weight was on top of him.

His heart started racing when he felt a hand pushing his chin back and a cold blade under his throat, as immobile as it could be.

Looking up with a panicked expression, he saw _him_.

Rantaro's glare was more terrifying than he ever imagined, his bright green eyes staring onto his soul.

Those eyes were telling him more than words could ever do.

_He was ready to kill him. Shuichi was going to die._

_No. No. Nonononononono-_

"Ran... ta... ro...?" he could barely mutter.

As he breathed heavily, he could feel more and more the steady blade on his throat, not moving an inch.

His heart was pounding so fast in his chest, he was seeing his entire life flash by. Was it the end? Was he going to die? What did he do? What did Rantaro want from him? Was he the mastermind and knew he was there back then? Was he-

The medic's gaze was still on him for what felt like an eternity, then Rantaro moved away.

"... And here I thought you were here to try and kill me. Don't scare me like that."

Scare _him_? Shuichi hadn't felt more terrified in his entire life and he was the one scaring him?

He couldn't even mutter those words as he touched his neck, standing back up.

"Y-You... What... Why did..."

Shuichi couldn't even form a full sentence.

"... Force of habit. Sorry." Rantaro span the scalpel around his fingers and put it back in one of the inner pockets of his jacket, as unimpressed as one could be.

_Why did he even have that in the first place??_

"You tried to kill me! Y-You can't just go away and pretend nothing happened!" Shuichi exclaimed, feeling tears form in the corner of his eyes.

"So what?"

He blinked.

"Huh?"

Rantaro put his hand in his pockets. "So what? Did you honestly think me of all people have never killed anyone?"

Shuichi's heart skipped a beat. "What...?"

"I thought I made myself quite clear." he continued. "I'm a soldier. I may be a medic but things happen, Shuichi. I did kill people in the past when they tried to sneak up on me. Don't think I do not know self-defense techniques."

He didn't even know what he expected, but certainly not this.

"I have blood on my hands, Shuichi. Almost everyone here does. It's about time you face the truth."

_"No one is innocent."_

Somehow, those words gave him chills.

"Out of the 16 of us we were at the beginning, 9 have attempted murder and/or are responsible for someone's death, as far as I know."

_"We're in a killing game Shuichi, it's about time you get used to death."_

Shuichi grew more and more uncomfortable by the minute. He wanted to scream. He wanted to cry. He wanted to run away. _He wanted to get out of here._

"... Sorry. I kinda snapped at you." Rantaro muttered, looking away.

"I'll- I'll go back to the dorms." Shuichi stuttered, not looking back as he almost ran away from the warehouse.

His mind went blank as he made his way back, thankfully not activating any traps.

Kiyo was in the main room, talking to Kirumi.

He seemed to have noticed his distress. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, I think I'll just... rest for a while."

Not even looking at them, he pushed the door of his room and locked it.

He slid down the door, a hand on his mouth, still trying to process what just happened.

He felt warm tears rolling on his cheeks and tried to cover his sobs.

_Rantaro didn't do anything wrong, right? He simply gave you a sense of reality._

_Besides he just snapped under the pressure, he said so himself._

_You're fine. He didn't do anything to you._

_Even though you had never seen him like this, he was right._

_Stop being a coward._

_You're fine._

_If you act like this you'll be the next victim for sure._

_Now you're just being useless._

_That's a killing game you're in. Keep it together._

_Keep it together. You're fine._

_Keep it together._

**_Keep it together._ **

But... He couldn't.

He stayed like this for a while. He couldn't talk to the others about what happened with Rantaro. After all, there is always a possibility the group will shatter if he spreads the info.

They didn't need to know that.

... Now that he thought about it he didn't even try to help Ryoma with the tools.

_Great. Way to go, idiot._

...

5 PM.

Shuichi finally decided to come out of his room, making sure there were no traces of tears or red eyes.

He had to put on a facade until he gets to be alone without being suspicious.

Kiyo, Kokichi, Kaito, and Miu were the only ones here.

"Hey there! Wanna play with us?" the street artist called him.

He approached the group, seemingly playing cards.

"What are you guys doing?"

Kaito gave him a malicious smile. "Remember what we played a few days ago?"

_Of course it was this game._

Perhaps he could try to relax... To forget about this for a while.

"Yeah sure..."

He waited until the round was over to join. Miu had won, Kaito complaining about how Kokichi's karma was influencing the game. The latter was a bit embarrassed but wasn't too bothered.

Kiyo was quietly looking at Shuichi at times. He probably noticed something was wrong but didn't want to talk about it in front of the others.

They played for a while. It felt... Relaxing.

Like breakfast this morning, where things were getting better.

Shuichi felt himself smiling. A genuine smile.

Then the door opened, revealing Ryoma and Rantaro with the tools.

"We're back!" the medic announced. He seemed to have calmed down a bit, but Shuichi still felt uneasy.

He wouldn't forget his intense glare that easily.

Just thinking about it made him shiver.

The group more or less split up.

Rantaro went to check on Kirumi for her injury.

Ryoma and Kaito tried to see how they could repair the prosthetic leg, having dragged Tsumugi out of her room.

Miu started preparing dinner with Kokichi.

Shuichi wasn't sure what to do. Besides, his mood had been quite bad since the incident with Rantaro. He couldn't even bring himself to ask what the paper was about.

"Shuichi, do you have a moment?" Kiyo called him.

He almost jumped. "Ah, um... Yes, why?"

"I would like to talk to you if you do not mind."

There was no use in denying it. He saw right through him. "S-Sure..."

The two went to Shuichi's room.

The violinist closed the door as he saw Kiyo sitting in the armchair.

"I believe you know why I am here."

Shuichi winced. "I..."

Was it a good idea to tell the truth?

"... I'm just realizing how much this game is getting to me. Everyone is dying and... And I feel useless."

He took out a notebook and started writing. "What do you mean by 'useless'?"

At least that wasn't a lie. He explained how he looked at the others and felt envious of their talents and how useful they were, unlike him. That he wanted to change but didn't know how to.

"... I see. To be fair... I do not think being 'useful' as you say is necessary. Since we are in an academy made for talented high schoolers, we tend to forget it but..."

"None of us exactly had a normal childhood. And having gotten through those events does not automatically make us superior. It is how we act that defines us."

"Sure, it makes us more mature, as you can see in Rantaro, Ryoma, Kirumi, and even Miu. I do not know the circumstances of her adoption, but she seems to have grown autonomous because of it."

"But being mature at a young age isn't necessarily a good thing, just like being used to death is not a good thing. Kokichi is a prime example. He has gone through a lot and you have seen the consequences. So if your definition of usefulness is to have a practical talent and have consequences of trauma as a counterpart, then I highly advise you to think back."

"I do not know what Rantaro, Ryoma, and Kirumi went through in their early lives, but if they are that used to death that can only mean it had bad consequences on their mental health." Kiyo explained.

 _Gaining the reflex to pin someone down and threaten them to slice their throat is pretty extreme indeed,_ Shuichi thought.

"So if your childhood was rather normal compared to us, you do not have to feel guilty nor to have to try to do dangerous things simply to be 'useful'. Of course, mutual help is essential right now, but do not try anything stupid."

Shuichi pondered for a moment. "... Thank you, Kiyo."

_"While surpassing death is somewhat essential to stay sane here, never forget your own feelings. They are what makes you human."_

The violinist looked at the therapist for a moment, then smiled. "Alright. Thanks a lot."

The two went back to the central room.

Shuichi helped Miu and Kokichi preparing the meal. Noodles sounded nice, and smelt better than the rice they had yesterday.

The group ate dinner peacefully, even though Shuichi couldn't get the image of Rantaro on top of him holding a scalpel to his throat out of his head.

He noticed Kirumi was not wearing her full uniform. The vest she was wearing on top of her shirt wasn't there, and she explained to him that Rantaro advised her to put it on so it was easier to access the injury.

The group went back to their rooms. Shuichi sat on his bed, elbows on his knees and head in his palms.

So much happened today.

First off he learned Kaito didn't have a left leg, then Kirumi pretty much saved him from the trap earlier, reopening her wound, then he found another note in morse code, and then Rantaro was about to kill him in the warehouse.

_Is this his life now?_

He could only pray the motive would end soon.

That perhaps Monokuma would get bored.

He could only count on that thin hope still shouting inside him as he drifted to sleep.

\--

_"..."_

_"5 done, 2 left."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This whole chapter feels like a fever dream, like I thought chapter 3 would be a mess to write but hOLY FUCK.
> 
> And I can finally announce that if you follow me on Tumblr but didn't want to go through all my Beta AU stuff because I warned about minor spoilers from when I wasn't planning to write the story, then good news! I didn't post any spoilers beyond that!  
> I was praying that no one would comment on Kaito's leg last chapter bUT SOMEONE HERE JUST HAD TO HINT AT IT WHILE THE AO3 CREW DIDN'T KNOW SHIT-
> 
> Also: I will be drawing until I collapse next week for Training Trio week. Meaning no updates until at least the 23rd. Sorry-


	29. Chapter 4: Dance, dance, hanged puppets - Daily life (part 6)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The motive goes on and there seems to be no way to stop it. Will it ever come to an end?
> 
> (Also, for those who read the last chapter very early, make sure to go back because I had forgotten to add something at the very end.)

Day 16 since the beginning of the game.

8:00 AM.

Shuichi slept like a baby.

The morning announcement rang and thus woke him up from his deep slumber.

... That meant he was late and the others were waiting for him.

_Damn it._

When he realized that, he quickly got showered and dressed up before leaving his room.

However, when he opened the door, he realized the rest of those who were there were still eating. He sighed in relief.

Kirumi noticed his arrival. "Good morning, Shuichi. It seems you have slept well."

The violinist rubbed his eyes as he approached the rest of the group. Everyone was there aside from Tsumugi and Kaito. Perhaps they were still getting dressed up.

Not to his dismay, breakfast was rather quiet. It was the calm before the storm. Who knew what horrors they were going to see today.

He simply hoped not to get in the situation he was in yesterday.

_Rantaro didn't even do anything to him, why did he try so much to avoid his gaze?_

After a few minutes, Kaito came out of his room, limping a bit.

Shuichi remembered what he saw yesterday. The prosthetic leg reveal had been quite a shock, but somehow a welcome one considering the situation he was in.

"Yo." he muttered as he sat between Miu and Shuichi.

"Sup'." Miu fist-bumped him as she reached for the pack of crackers. "You good?"

He sighed, taking a biscuit out of the box. "The usual. The morning phantom pains."

Shuichi blinked. "You have that a lot?"

"It's not that painful but I've had them ever since _that_ day. I got used to it but it's still not the greatest thing to wake up to in the morning." he explained.

The violinist couldn't help but wince. "That's rough."

The biker waved his hand. "Nah, it's fine. I usually have to wait a few minutes after I wake up before it goes away. So for now I'm good."

Shuichi took a bite out of an apple. "I just hope it goes well for you..."

Kaito gave him a thumbs up. "I've been dealing with this for three years, I'm used to it by now. Don't worry about it!"

He smiled.

After some time, a door opened behind him and Tsumugi came out. Since everyone was done with breakfast, it was time to get the locks.

Shuichi turned on his monopad to solve the riddle.

_What is there to salvage in a treacherous soul?_

_Even if they try to reach out for the light, they are deemed to feel the perpetual freezing warmth of Judas' embrace._

This made even less sense to him than the previous one. Those riddles were getting stranger and stranger by the day.

But somehow... He had a feeling of familiarity with this.

Of course, he wasn't Christian, but he had a decent amount of knowledge about it. He played for a lot of westerners and they sometimes talked about their culture.

Judas... He was the traitor, right? Did it have anything to do with the group?

...

Could it be about the traitor in their group? The mastermind?

He didn't know who they even were... Did Monokuma expect him to know?

No, that couldn't be it. Perhaps it was a place that had something to do with the mastermind, but that they all knew.

He thought about the time he explored the academy with Kirumi, searching for potential secret passageways.

And yet all he had in mind was the door in the library.

...

Was that it?

He checked back the riddle. The only place related to the mastermind was the library... Or maybe the shrine of judgment, but he already had to go there yesterday.

However, there was still a second lock to find.

Kiyo approached him. "Do you need help?"

Shuichi shook his head. "I feel like I got this... But mine sounds eerily ominous..."

The therapist sighed. "It seems it is the case for you as well. The first ones were about our past, the second ones were about our current situation and today's ones give me this eery feeling. As if Monokuma wants us to think more about our situation in the academy."

The violinist looked back at the riddle. "Mine seems centered around the mastermind... Or at least a traitor."

The taller man frowned. "Out of all the individuals I've tried to understand, Monokuma is the biggest mystery I've encountered. Nothing in his character makes sense."

Shuichi quietly nodded.

Traitor... Treachery...

...

He suddenly perked up. "Dante!"

Kiyo blinked. "Did you... Find the answer?"

Shuichi looked at his riddle. "I've heard about this from one of the families I've played for! Something about nine circles of hell or something..."

The therapist shrugged. "I'm afraid I cannot help you."

"Something about how Hell is made from nine circles for each type of crime and Judas was at the 9th circle, for the traitors..." he started rambling. "I think the circle was made of ice and it was the deepest point of Hell..."

He pondered for a moment. "Hey... If we consider this academy like Hell... Could it hint at the deepest point of the academy?"

Kiyo put a finger on his chin. "That sounds like solid reasoning. Could it be the basement?"

Shuichi shook his head. "My first lock is in the library... I don't think that's it."

He looked back at the riddle. "Reach out for the light..."

Perhaps...

"... The death road of despair." he muttered. "We did try to escape here but miserably failed... So we're stuck here with the mastermind, or rather the traitor..."

He felt a chill running down his spine by even saying those words. "At least I know for sure where this one is."

Kiyo tried to find the right words. "I do not think this hell is eternal. Even though this is hard, we cannot give in to the mastermind. And even if this continues, I know this group is more than capable of getting together. You all have proved this to me."

Shuichi looked at him for a moment, then smiled. "Thank you, Kiyo."

The two decided to group for now.

The others seemed to have chosen their groups as well.

Miu was back with Kokichi.

Rantaro and Ryoma went together once more.

Tsumugi teamed up with Kaito.

And finally, Kirumi would go alone.

The two soldiers were the first ones to leave as the rest mentally prepared themselves.

...

Not even two minutes later, they all heard the sound of an explosion outside.

Shuichi's mind went blank. He rushed to the door and scanned the area to see where the noise came from. And from far away, he could see Ryoma and Rantaro trying to stand up in front of an entrance in ruins. The structure above the door had fallen, blocking the door. The two looked at the damage, trying to move out the rubble, but it was way too heavy to even be lifted.

They gave up and made their way back to the dorms, greeted by concerned faces.

"What the hell happened??" Miu exclaimed.

"We approached the door and it exploded in front of us. We're not injured, don't worry. We just activated a trap." Rantaro explained as he tried to brush the dust off his hair.

"And the main entrance is locked, by the way. We can't move the rubble." Ryoma added.

Kaito groaned. "Can't Monokuma move out the rubble??"

Kirumi sighed. "I doubt he will be of help here. He is the one putting on these traps after all."

Ryoma adjusted his beanie. "Dining hall it is, then."

"Perhaps you two should rest from the explosion for now." Kiyo suggested.

"I'm not letting a simple explosion be an excuse not to be on the front lines." Ryoma replied.

"Please be reasonable. We're not letting you two activate more traps by yourselves. I can go instead." Kirumi countered him.

"I'm not letting anyone go activate traps alone. I shall go if needed." the therapist volunteered.

The mercenary stared at him. "... Fine."

Kiyo turned to the others. "We'll make sure the dining hall is safe to go through and we'll come back after to give the report."

Shuichi nodded.

The two tall individuals left the dorms.

They could only wait.

...

Around ten minutes later, the two came back, visibly concerned.

"... The dining hall is out too." Kirumi declared.

"What??" Kaito exclaimed. "Come on, twice in a row??"

"Kirumi had her lock in the dining hall, and the second she passed her key, a questionable amount of spears blocked the door to the rest of the building." Kiyo explained.

"Then how are we going to get our lockers?" Kokichi asked.

Kirumi pondered. "There are windows at the pool. I think one of them leads to the gym."

Tsumugi raised an eyebrow. "You seem to know this academy from head to toe. It is quite convenient."

The mercenary knew where this was going. "My duty as a mercenary is to know all the secrets of this place before striking whoever keeps us here. Just like it is your duty as a prodigy to help us find a path to get to the rest of the building."

The girl closed her eyes. "I was not being sarcastic." She started pacing around. "The window is probably closed from here. We'll have to be careful going through there. If we have to break the window, we'll have to find a way to climb up without injuring ourselves with the glass."

Rantaro frowned. "We should get the locks that are out of the building just in case we take longer than expected."

"And search for tools to help us get through the other doors at the same time." Ryoma added.

That sounded like a solid plan to Shuichi. One of his locks was available, in the road of despair. No one seemed to object until...

"Both of my locks are inside." Tsumugi declared. "I understand the need to get your locks, but I will have to get mine as well."

This... Wasn't good.

"We'll still have to get the tools anyway." Kiyo replied. "That way, we won't waste any time going back and forth places and taking any risks."

Tsumugi seemed concerned but complied. "Fine. it's not like I have a choice anyway."

The groups parted their ways all at once not to waste time.

"My lock is next to the love hotel. Since your lock is behind the main building it would be preferable to do mine first." Kiyo suggested.

Shuichi nodded. "Yeah... We should do that."

The two started walking towards the giant area behind the wall. No traps activated on their way.

Strange, but Shuichi wasn't complaining. If things could go their way for once, it was good.

Once in front of the hotel and the lock, Kiyo activated it and the annoying jingle ringed, signaling Kiyo's safety until this afternoon.

But just as it was heard, the lock emitted a strange noise, and the cables linking the lock to the building exploded, releasing an abnormal amount of sparkles.

The ground started shaking. The two glanced at each other and started running towards the exit.

Other traps activated, shooting different weapons at them, from arrows to spears to needles.

Once out of the casino area, the traps stopped shooting projectiles in random directions.

Shuichi panted as he starred at the unreassuring amount of weapons on the ground. "Was that... Normal?"

Kiyo shook his head. "I don't know. I didn't think the locks would react like this."

... What the hell just happened? Were the traps getting harder and harder with time? It didn't look normal at all, it was like the thing malfunctioned.

_What that going to be their future from now on?_

The two started walking towards behind the academy, more on guard than they ever were. Shuichi felt so tense he couldn't even take a step without having his eyes darting on all sides to see if anything happened.

The walk towards the back of the main building was silent. Too silent. But perhaps it was normal? Was it?

"I feel like the pattern has changed..." he muttered. "We haven't encountered a single trap on our way here, but once we activate a lock a trap does as well."

Kiyo pondered for a moment. "And yet the main entrance exploded. Rantaro and Ryoma didn't activate a lock, as far as I know."

Back to the unpredictability, then.

The two used the entrance in the back.

Unfortunately, there was no way for them to access the rest of the building from this room.

Shuichi put his head in the manhole to see if the lock was there, and it indeed was.

"I'm... I'm going down. I just hope nothing happens, I'm a bit scared..." he admitted.

Kiyo gave him a weak smile. Like he knew things were probably not going to be okay but wanted to support him anyway. "You'll be fine. I'm right here if needed."

The violinist nodded as he climbed down the ladder. The loud steps echoed through the room. His heartbeat was accelerating but... For what? After all, this academy was as nightmarish as the tunnels, right now. It's not like there was a difference between inside and outside this manhole.

He still felt chills looking at the dark room.

Just as he expected, nothing useful was there to help to get to the window at the pool. Not that he could carry, at least.

Shuichi hesitantly took his card out and approached the lock.

He took a deep breath and passed his card.

...

The ground started rumbling.

Of course, something would activate.

He rushed to the ladder and had just enough time to get to the first step before the metal plates from the ground moved, and the floor disappeared.

Shuichi was thankful the ladder was attached to the wall, unlike the lock and the barrels that just disappeared. But looking at the bottomless pit beneath him...

He shook his head and started climbing, a strong grip on the bars to make sure he didn't fall.

_Just don't look down. Don't fall. Don't fall. Don't fall._

He thankfully reached the top and sat down on the rusty floor covered in grass.

"Are you okay?" Kiyo approached him.

"Y-Yeah... I just... Got a little scared down there." the violinist shakily replied.

The therapist helped him get up. "... Let's go. The others are probably at the pool."

Shuichi managed to calm down during the quiet walk.

_A walk without traps activating._

Everything felt odd, but he couldn't put his finger on how and why.

They opened the door, revealing Tsumugi, Kaito, and Kirumi... Stacking up deckchairs?

"Mind giving us a hand?" Kirumi asked.

"Are you piling these up to reach the window?" Kiyo looked at the tower of chairs.

"What does it look like we're doing?" Kaito adjusted one of them.

Kirumi looked at the tower. "I'm still doubtful we'll be able to make a stable step stool for everyone."

Tsumugi put a finger on her chin, looking around. "We didn't look into the storage room. Perhaps something will help us."

The mercenary approached the door and opened it. She took a step forward but the second the tip of her boot touched the ground, the entire building started shaking, and a loud noise was heard from the storage room before the shaking stopped.

"What was that?" Shuichi turned to the room Kirumi was standing in front of.

"I think we can forget about searching anything here." she coldly declared.

The violinist approached her, concerned.

An enormous amount of spears had appeared out of nowhere, impaling every single object from all sides. The rubber inner tubes were slowly deflating.

By their size, they could have been useful, but that was out of the question now. A trap activated and now they couldn't use these.

Kirumi sighed. "Fine. I'll see if I can reach the window from here."

She climbed on the tower of deckchairs, and after struggling a bit, she reached the platform below the window and kept herself steady with the pillar. Her height and strength helped her get through this, but it was easy to tell that the others were going to struggle with this.

She reached for the handle and tried to push it, but...

The window didn't move.

"Is everything okay?" Kiyo asked.

"The window doesn't open. It doesn't even move an inch." she explained.

The moment she finished her sentence, Rantaro and Ryoma appeared, immediately noticing the group.

"What... Is happening in here?" the medic asked.

"Window unmovable. We can't access the gym from here." Kirumi explained.

Ryoma frowned as he climbed up the chairs. The young woman helped him get on the platform, although both were struggling and Rantaro kept an eye on his friend to make sure he didn't fall.

The weapons maker himself tried to move the window but nothing happened.

"We're stuck. We can't move the thing from here." he shook his head.

Tsumugi pondered. "Looks like we'll have to break it."

"And find a way to make sure _everyone_ can climb in." Kaito added, tapping his left 'foot' on the ground.

Rantaro paced around. "Do you have anything that could be used to break a window in your lab, Kaito?"

He shrugged. "I have tools in my lab and uh..." he looked away.

"Get to the point." Tsumugi ordered.

"I've got an iron baseball bat in here! Sheesh!" he exclaimed.

Ryoma put his hands in his pockets. "Problem solved. We just need something to get all of us inside."

The biker seemed surprised by how casual he was. "Right..."

Tsumugi looked at the window. "We'll need a rope of some kind. I have a hunch Gonta's lab has something to help us."

Rantaro took a step forward. "Then we'll have to separate to get all of this."

"Kaito and Ryoma will get the baseball bat. Kirumi and I will get the rope. The rest of you will stay here to arrange the deckchairs to make something more stable."

The other soldier didn't nudge and approached the door. "Got it, boss." Kaito followed behind. Kirumi didn't object either and followed them.

Rantaro turned back for a moment and smiled. "We'll get everything as soon as we can, I promise."

A genuine smile that Shuichi missed, somehow. The one he arbored when telling the group that things were going to be okay. The attitude that helped them get together as a group.

Rantaro wasn't just a medic, he was a leader. If he wasn't there, the group would have probably gotten to chaos long ago.

...

_And yet he couldn't get the intense glare and the feeling of a cold blade under his throat out of his head._

About a minute after the others' departure, Miu and Kokichi joined them.

After a quick recap of the situation, they started helping in the arrangement of the deckchairs.

Around an hour later, the others finally came back, panting, but with the items.

"I was starting to get worried." Tsumugi looked at them.

"Yeah, well, try to get to a lab when half the tiles you walk on fall beneath your feet! This thing was a nightmare!" Kaito complained.

"Whatever. We got the rope. We got the bat. Let's get to work." Ryoma ignored the bickering. His amount of self-control was astonishing.

He and Kirumi climbed up the chairs, back to the platform.

"Get out of the way. You don't want glass shards in your face." he took the bat that Kaito gave to him.

And after a huge blow, the glass shattered. Several blows later, the window was no more. He also shattered the upper part of the window.

After making sure there was no way anyone would cut themselves with shattered glass, Ryoma took the rope from the mercenary and attached it tightly to the steel bar. He threw the end of the rope back in the pool area.

"We should be good. Can you climb up?" he asked the prodigy.

"I'm afraid I'm not athletic enough to do this. I could do it if there are knots to put my feet on, but climbing up a rope is out of my abilities."

Kirumi sighed. "Knots it is, then."

Ryoma took the rope without complaining and started fiddling with it.

The lack of confrontation he was giving surprised Kirumi.

"... Anyway. Give me the second rope so we can go back and forth from the pool area to the gym.

After attaching the other rope, she started knotting as well.

There was nothing the others could do in the meantime. They could only wait.

Shuichi checked the time on his monopad. _1:00 PM._

He hadn't realized they spent that long finding a way to get to the main building.

Later, Ryoma, who was done with the knots, threw his end of the rope to Tsumugi. "Is this okay now?"

The prodigy started climbing. "I'm fine with it. Although can someone please keep the rope steady? This thing is going to make me vomit from the swinging."

She climbed up as Kaito held onto the rope. "And now we just have to get on the other side. Think you can handle it?"

Tsumugi nodded. She disappeared from view soon after, Ryoma keeping an eye on her. He gave her a thumbs-up before turning to the others. "Tie the other end to one of the deck chairs. It's gonna be easier to climb this way."

Just as Rantaro did as told, the entire building started shaking again. It was like the entire academy was going to collapse at any moment.

And then, nothing.

Ryoma made his way to the gym and yelled. "Tsumugi! You okay?"

She came back soon after at the gym, panting. "The traps are reckless. I feel like everything is going to fall down and there are so many weapons shot at once. It's a nightmare."

"Where are your locks?"

"Third and fifth floor." she replied.

Kirumi threw her end of the rope to the others. "Unfortunately we don't have a choice. Either we take risks to get to our locks, or we die executed."

Tsumugi sighed as she made her way back to the main building. "Wish me luck."

Rantaro raised his hand. "For now let's just try to find ways to get the debris out of the main entrance and the spears out of the dining hall."

They separated.

Rantaro, Ryoma, Kaito, and Kiyo were the main entrance group.

Shuichi, Miu, Kokichi, and Kirumi were the dining hall group.

But just as the violinist's group got to this place, it happened.

A giant explosion was heard by everyone. They didn't know where, but it happened.

The four rushed out, only to see the third floor on fire, walls crumbling.

Shuichi's mind went blank.

_Tsumugi. She was supposed to be here._

Rantaro rushed towards the group outside, panicking. "Are all of you okay??"

Kirumi nodded. "We're fine. Is your group okay?"

He looked at the damaged building. "Ryoma and Kiyo are inside the main building. I'm going to get Tsumugi out. Stay here and don't try anything."

He rushed back to the pool area.

What was going on?? This was clearly not normal... Why? What happened?

The wait felt like an eternity before Kiyo and Kaito approached them.

Shuichi's heart was racing. "Are you guys okay? Have you seen Tsumugi? And Ryoma?"

Kaito winced and Kiyo shook his head. "Ryoma tried to get Tsumugi out and now Rantaro is with him, I suppose."

"We have to help them!" Shuichi exclaimed.

Kirumi put a hand on his shoulder. "Right now there's nothing we can do. Rantaro asked us to stay here and all we can do is listen to him."

"But-"

"Please."

She stared at him. "Rantaro and Ryoma are already at it. We're only doing them a favor by staying here."

He looked back at the third floor. It was in flames. The fire was slowly invading the floor.

This academy was collapsing.

Was Monokuma going to do anything?

After what felt like an eternity, Ryoma, Rantaro, and Tsumugi appeared, the latter coughing her lungs out.

"Are you guys okay?" Miu rushed to them.

"We're good. Tsumugi is injured a bit in the leg, but we're fine."

"YOU-HAVE-MADE-IT. CONGRATULATIONS."

The robotic voice of Monodam was heard from behind. The red and green bears appeared.

"Aw... We spent so long building this academy! It's a tragedy!" Monotaro cried.

"WE-ARE-GOING-TO-STOP-THE-FIRE. PLEASE-REMAIN-OUTSIDE-AS-WE-PROCEED."

Two of the exisals appeared behind and the two bears jumped in.

The wait was long. Way too long. They had sat down in the grass, away from the building as the two giant robots sprayed water everywhere.

Since when did they have this function?

No one even wanted to talk. They could only wait.

...

Shuichi was nervously fidgeting with his sleeve.

His heart stopped when he heard a jingle from the speakers, Monokuma appearing on the screen.

"It is now 3:00 PM!"

He raised an eyebrow. Why would Monokuma announce the time?

He turned to the others and that's when he noticed.

Tsumugi's face went as pale as snow, her hands clenching at her stomach. He had never seen her that panicked.

Why-

...

_The locks._

Did...

Did Tsumugi activate her lock before the explosion?

A giant crash was heard from behind him.

Another exisal -the pink one- appeared.

It opened to reveal Monokuma himself.

"Ding! Dong! It looks like someone didn't respect the rules!"

The prodigy slowly turned back. "No..."

_"Time for the punishment!"_

...

She didn't.

She didn't activate her lock in time.

Was she going to be executed?

Shuichi didn't have time to process everything that he saw her ran as fast as she could towards behind the building.

The exisal followed her.

_Monokuma was going to kill her._

Rantaro raised an arm as an attempt to block the others.

"Kirumi and Ryoma! Try to distract the exisal however you can while I make sure Tsumugi gets to the death road of despair safe!"

"Wait!-" Shuichi called for him, wanting to tell him about the collapsed floor, but it was too late.

The three warriors ran.

Kirumi had been a bit hesitant, but seeing that Ryoma had gone without a second thought, she followed.

Shuichi panicked. "I have to get to them! The death road of despair isn't an option!"

Kaito grabbed his arm. "What are you saying??"

"The floor collapsed here! She can't enter the tunnels to be safe!"

The biker hesitated, leaving enough time for Shuichi to break free and try to run.

"Shuichi!!" Miu screamed, but it was useless.

He saw Kirumi and Ryoma in the distance being knocked out by the exisal. Not dead, but thrown to the ground like bugs.

And just as he drifted his gaze to the other two, the exisal threw Rantaro away.

Shuichi ran. "No!"

But before he could do anything, the exisal shot an explosive at the prodigy.

His eyes went wide as he watched the smoke fade away.

"Sheesh! You kids can't complete a task, can't you?" Monokuma brushed the dust off of himself.

Shuichi didn't care. He rushed at Tsumugi's side, Rantaro doing the same.

"Tsumugi! wake up, please!" he pleaded. She was heavily bleeding from the side of her torso.

"Shu... ichi...?"

"Tsumugi, please try to stay alive! I'll get my stuff, I can try to heal this!"

"W-Wait..." she clenched at his sleeve.

"I... I know I'm not gonna make it. T-There's too much smoke in my lungs, breathing is getting harder... I don't think... I'll make it out alive. M-Monokuma will make sure that I stay dead. And... I know I d-don't have much time left."

"B-But there's something... I need to do before I die... Please..."

Rantaro looked at her. "No! I can do something! Just let me handle this!"

"Rantaro... Please..."

She reached for her inner pocket and took out a notebook. Thankfully, it wasn't damaged.

"T-Take this. Those are... all my theories and deductions about the killing game... I know some of them are probably false but... Some of them are... Very important... E-Especially my last deductions..." she tried to explain before getting into another coughing fit.

"It was... A pleasure to m-meet you all... I know I wasn't talking much t-to you all but... I'm glad I got... to k-know you guys."

Shuichi could feel tears form in his eyes as he held onto the notebook.

"Please... Get out of this place and... Move on with your lives. I... I know you can do it."

She turned to the medic. "And Rantaro... I'm sorry I accused you so much in the trials. Y-You're smart and I always did my best to explore all the possibilities... to make sure you didn't create a giant complicated scheme. I know you are smart enough to do so. Heh."

Rantaro narrowed his eyes, but not in anger.

"A-And if you are the mastermind of this entire thing... Then screw you. S-Same for you, Shuichi. Besides..."

She bitterly laughed. "I knew the mastermind... was coming f-for me anyway..."

Tsumugi held tightly on Rantaro's hand. "If... The afterlife exists then... I don't want... any of you t-to join me so soon. Alright?"

The medic nodded. "We won't die. I promise."

She smiled and closed her eyes.

"Thank you... for everything."

Her grip on Rantaro's hand weakened. He put his thumb on her wrist for a moment, then put both of her hands on her chest.

"... She's gone." he muttered.

Shuichi's eyes widened. "No... Tsumugi..."

He shook his head.

_"Tsumugi!!!"_

The others came running, Kirumi and Ryoma having gained their conscience back.

_Monokuma was gone, though._

Rantaro stood up and saluted. "Tsumugi. You fought well in this war. Rest in peace, my friend."

Ryoma saluted as the rest of them didn't know what to do. Kaito and Kiyo looked away. Miu had tears in the corner of her eyes. Kirumi and Kokichi looked at the body with regret.

Shuichi couldn't take his eyes off her peaceful smile.

They were going to get out of here. They were going to fight. For her. For those who died.

They were going to-

**_"Ding dong, dong ding!"_ **

...

Huh...?

**_"A body has been discovered!"_ **

**_"Everyone, please gather behind the main building!"_ **

**__ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait! Spending 5-6 hours to draw every day for a week was exhausting, so I had to take a break after that.
> 
> Aside from that, daily life is finally over after 6 long chapters. That was a long ride but I really loved doing those parts.  
> And also huge art update! All the 'sprites' were remade and I changed everything related to it.


	30. Chapter 4: Dance, dance, hanged puppets - Deadly life (part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tsumugi didn't make it. She was executed by Monokuma for not being able to activate her lock on time. But why did the body discovery announcement play?

...

Huh?

Everyone looked at each other in confusion.

"Why... Did the body discovery announcement play?" Shuichi asked.

Ryoma glanced at everyone. "We're all here. No one else died."

Kokichi looked down. "I don't get it..."

Rantaro stared at Tsumugi's body with regret. "... The body discovery announcement played for Tsumugi but..." he clenched his fists. "Why...? No one else did this. Monokuma killed Tsumugi, we saw it for ourselves. There's no class trial to hold."

Shuichi nodded. The canon... The explosion... Tsumugi's last words...

_"I knew the mastermind... was coming f-for me anyway..."_

...

Did they have to find out who the mastermind was?

But still... Monokuma executed Tsumugi. Not the mastermind themselves. And Monokuma was very adamant with the rules.

_"... Only the person who does the final blow is the blackened!”_

And the one who did so is Monokuma.

Nothing made sense. Why-

The black and white bear appeared before their eyes.

"My! My! This class trial promises to be very interesting!"

Rantaro immediately shouted at him. "You executed Tsumugi! There's no trial to hold!"

The bear laughed. "Puhuhuhuhu! Very interesting indeed!"

He took a step back to make sure everyone could see him.

"You see, I cannot let the blackened get away as if they were spotless. Someone killed four eyes and this trial is about them!"

Kaito yelled. "What the fuck are you saying?! If I'm the blackened who killed Keebo only because of a maintenance mistake, why would anyone else other than you could be considered the blackened here??"

"Puhuhu! Puhuhuhuhu! That's for you to find out!" The bear reached for a cocktail out of... Who knows at this point. "I shall give you the Monokuma file. After a certain amount of time has passed, a class trial will begin!"

Shuichi's monopad vibrated. He took it to read the information given.

_Monokuma file #4_

  * The victim is Tsumugi Shirogane, the ultimate prodigy.
  * The body was discovered behind the main building.
  * The estimated time of death is 3:05 PM.
  * The victim died from an execution.



**Obtained truth bullet! Monokuma file #4**

... This didn't help them in the slightest.

Before he realized it, the bear disappeared.

What on earth was going on?

Why did they have to go through this again? What was the point?

Did they have to find the mastermind?

Was this going to be their last trial?

Nothing made sense. Shuichi's head hurt.

Rantaro's grip on his monopad was so strong that Shuichi wondered if he was going to break it. But more importantly...

_That intense glare was back. Aimed at the Monokuma file._

He instantly got a chill down his spine.

Miu nervously looked at him. "What are we supposed to do...?"

The medic closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Isn't that obvious?"

_"We need to investigate."_

Kokichi waved his hands. "But for what? There isn't even a real blackened! We can't solve a murder if there is nothing to solve!"

"I don't make the rules. If Monokuma said we could investigate, then we have to do this. Besides..."

"If we don't, we'll end up like Tsumugi."

Kirumi took a step forward. "And do you have any idea how we should investigate this?"

He pondered for a moment.

"... I don't know. Just search every single corner of the academy. We don't even know what we have to find so we don't have a choice."

Kaito blinked. "All the academy??"

Ryoma crossed his arms. "Obviously the main spots and the buildings only. Anything could be a clue here."

Kirumi fiddled with a lock of hair. "It would be wise to group by two and search the labs."

Rantaro starred at Tsumugi's corpse. "... As much as I hate this, an autopsy would be a waste of time. We saw how she died. I think the mystery resides somewhere else."

"So? How do we proceed?" Kiyo asked.

They created the groups. For now, Shuichi and Kaito would be together to investigate Gonta's and Kaito's labs.

Shuichi had no idea what to do. What to think.

He thought back at _her_ words.

She... knew the mastermind was coming to get her?

Did perhaps the mastermind set everything up so she would die?

But... Why? What did she do?

He grabbed the notebook and opened it.

Unfortunately, he realized how packed the text was. Giant blocks of text on almost every single page.

He starred at the text with wide eyes.

"What is that?" Kaito asked.

"It's... Tsumugi's notebook. She gave it to me but... I don't think it will help us. She explained that it was her deductions about the killing game so I don't think we'll get anything useful here. Besides..."

He showed the notes to Kaito, whose eyes widened.

"... I think I get it."

Shuichi shoved the notebook back into his pocket. The investigation was so unorganized, and they had very little time. Now wasn't the time to read blocks of theories.

The two reached Kaito's lab.

"You know..." he started. "I saw some of my tools in weird places when we got the bat. I didn't think much of it but perhaps it will help us."

They entered the small building. The biker immediately got into the back of the lab, where all his tools were stocked.

Shuichi tried to search through his stuff as well, but he knew so little about mechanics that it was hard to distinguish the usual from the unusual.

"Hey, Shuichi?"

The violinist turned to him. "Yes?"

"The welder was used. I don't know for what, but used at some point, not by me."

He approached the engine.

"I never leave it like this. You have to replace those parts each time you use it. I always do it before putting it back." Kaito explained.

"That's strange..."

**Obtained truth bullet! Used welder**

He pointed at the shelves of tools. "Also I don't remember how I placed exactly all of them, but some of them look fishy."

The two went through the tools.

"What the hell?"

Shuichi turned back to him.

"Some of my wire cutters have marks on them! Even the biggest ones! And-"

He took one of them and fiddled with it. "... This one's broken."

**Obtained truth bullet! Broken wire cutters**

... What the hell happened here?

The two left the lab.

Now was time to go to Gonta's lab. Perhaps they would find something.

The lab seemed pretty clean. They looked around and started going through the drawers. Although nothing seemed to be of use.

The two left the lab. But just as they were about to decide what to do next, something fell, causing a loud noise.

A piece of the roof from Kaito's lab fell, knocking a barrel over.

Kaito sighed. "I don't need my lab collapsing."

He approached the barrel to put it back in place but...

"Huh?"

He opened the lid. "What even is that?"

Shuichi approached him to take a look.

Several wood bars were inside. Some of them were long, some were small. But they looked too polished to be branches.

**Obtained truth bullet! Wood pieces**

"I don't remember putting... Whatever that is here." Kaito frowned.

The violinist couldn't even begin to put a finger on what happened.

He pondered for a moment. "Kaito... Do you mind if we go to the love hotel for a second?"

The biker blinked. "... Phrasing?"

"You know what I meant."

The two made their way here. Somehow the abnormal amount of weapons was still laying around.

"Sheesh, what happened here?" Kaito asked.

"We activated a trap with Kiyo this morning and this is what happened."

A trap, huh...

Perhaps he should keep this moment in mind.

**Obtained truth bullet! Diverse projectiles**

As they approached Kiyo's lock, Shuichi noticed the burn marks on the ground. Exactly where the cables had gone crazy earlier.

What even was the deal with them?

**Obtained truth bullet! Exploded cables**

Kaito looked around. "I would have gladly tried to analyze this mess but everything is completely destroyed. I can't do much."

"It's alright. I just needed to see this one more time." Shuichi shook his head.

The two made their way to the main building, where they found Kirumi and Ryoma.

"Kaito, since you're here, mind giving me a hand?" the smaller one asked. "Mechanic stuff."

"Sure. Did you find anything else weird?"

"There's a lot to cover." He turned to the mercenary. "I'll leave the rest of the investigation of the main building to you and Shuichi, alright?"

"Understood."

The two mechanics walked away.

Shuichi turned to Kirumi. "Are you okay? You got knocked out back then, didn't you?"

She shook her head. "I don't feel pain, remember? Besides the exisal didn't want to kill us. For some reason."

The violinist nodded.

"There's something I don't understand though." she took out her monopad, turning it on. "The rule 9 states that 'Monokuma will never directly participate in a murder.' But if we have a class trial, that means Tsumugi's death is considered a murder. And yet I think we all remember how everything turned out."

That was more than strange.

**Obtained truth bullet! School regulation #9**

"Monokuma is very strict with his rules... Why would he break them?" Shuichi wondered.

Kirumi shook her head. "I do not have a single clue."

The two looked at the main entrance, still blocked by the countless debris.

"Ryoma told me that the entrance collapsed when they turned the handle of the door. They heard something exploding and rushed out of the way." she explained.

"Either way it completely forbade us from entering this way..."

**Obtained truth bullet! Main entrance door**

Kirumi sighed. "Monokuma doesn't want to get the rubble away so we'll have to enter the main building via the pool area."

Shuichi pondered for a second. "Before we get inside, can we go to the dining hall? I didn't get a chance to see what happened exactly in here..."

"If you wish to."

The two made their way to the dining hall.

As the two described this morning, many spears and iron bars blocked the door. After trying to move them, Shuichi quickly realized that it would be useless.

**Obtained truth bullet! Sealed dining hall**

He looked at the lock on the side and the wires linking it to the ceiling.

"Did you realize anything?" she asked.

Shuichi wrapped his fingers around a wire and pulled on it.

"What are you-"

To Shuichi's surprise, the cable was lighter than he thought. But before he knew it, the end of the wire fell from the ceiling.

"... I don't know what I expected." he stared at the object, confused.

"Hold on." Kirumi approached him. She took the end of the cable in her hand. "That thing was cut."

The violinist frowned, approached the other cables and pulled them. All of them fell down.

He went down to take a look and all of them were hastily cut off.

"What on earth..." Kirumi muttered.

**Obtained truth bullet! Cut off wires**

The two looked at each other.

"Let's just... Move on to inside the building. Who knows if there are other broken wires elsewhere." the mercenary suggested.

"Agreed."

After making their way to the pool area, they noticed Miu on the window platform. She immediately turned to them. "Kirumi! I need your help!"

She approached the rope and started climbing. "What is it?"

The street artist pointed at the top of the window. "Well... I tried to see what made the window unmovable but... I gotta admit I don't want to cut myself with glass shards and I'm uh..." she gestured at her entire body. "I don't exactly have anything to protect myself. Besides, you're taller than me and I can't reach for the top."

Kirumi pulled her sleeves on her hands and inspected the window. After a moment, as she passed her covered hand nearly on every border, she frowned. "Something feels wrong here."

She tried to inspect a little further a certain spot. "It feels like those parts are joined together. Shouldn't it be separated for it to open?"

**Obtained truth bullet! Non-functioning window**

Miu approached her hand after Kirumi assured her it was safe. "... Yeah, those parts shouldn't be together... I think?"

"It's definitely strange. But did we ever use that window? Perhaps it was never meant to be opened." the mercenary suggested.

Shuichi shook his head. 'Why would there be a handle then?"

Miu shrugged. "Well, clothes designers put fake pockets on girls' pants and we stopped questioning it. People do a lot of useless stuff for aesthetics and mild inconveniences."

Shuichi put a finger on his chin. "I still feel like we should keep that in mind."

The street artist grabbed the rope hanging in the gym and started climbing down. "Whatever. I'll investigate the building."

The boy climbed up the rope to join Kirumi. It was a bit hard to do so, but he was still able to with the help of the young woman.

The two entered the gym, mostly untouched by the fire. There were still rubbles in some places.

... Now that he thought about it, the violent quakes were not here before today. He wondered if they were normal, but now he wasn't so sure. They all appeared after a lock activated. Never at any other point of time.

**Obtained truth bullet! Earthquakes**

Kirumi and Shuichi started walking. The burnt smell was invading the entire building, and the air was heavy. Probably from the extinguished fire. Thankfully there was no dangerous smoke.

The more they walked through the corridor, the more broken cables they noticed, either hanging from the ceiling or on the ground.

**Obtained truth bullet! Hanging wires**

"... This place gives even more of an eery vibe than usual." Kirumi noted.

Shuichi nodded. But it was to be expected from a building that survived a fire.

What even caused the fire? They all knew that aside from the candles on the fourth floor, no one was able to create fire.

_Especially after..._

No. Now wasn't the time.

"Considering what happened I doubt my lab will be worth searching." Kirumi pondered. "I have a feeling we should try to retrace where Tsumugi went, perhaps that will help us to see where the fire came from."

Shuichi had his doubts but accepted. He could still look into her lab later.

They made their way to the third floor, where Tsumugi should have been.

On the second floor, however, Kirumi seemed to have noticed something. "Look."

She sat down near a dark pink stain on the ground, near the wall. She touched carefully, but her fingers were clean.

"This is dried blood. I'm sure of it." she explained.

"Perhaps Tsumugi was shot by a trap? Rantaro mentioned her being injured in the leg..."

The mercenary shook her head. "No. It must have been here for at least a few hours."

_For a few hours?_

**Obtained truth bullet! Dried blood**

That was... Strange. But then again, he hasn't stepped into the main building since he went to Tsumugi's lab yesterday morning. Perhaps things happened that he wasn't aware of.

After going up the stairs to the third floor, they entered Miu's lab, which was the nearest. The street artist was already there.

"Did you find anything?" Shuichi asked.

Miu shook her head. "Nothing. I mean I'm searching through here but for now, I'm stuck."

She crossed her arms. "I mean, there's not a lot of stuff to go through here. Ever since the third trial I... got myself a lock from the warehouse and some keys to lock the paint lab. And I put pretty much all my stuff in there."

The street artist took an iron key and unlocked the door. There was a lot more stuff in here than Shuichi saw the first time. All her tools were here, from the products, the stepladder, the different kinds of paint, the buckets, and everything that could be moved.

**Obtained truth bullet! Miu's lab**

She sighed. "Why do we have to do this? Tsumugi was... She was executed..."

Shuichi winced. "... I don't know."

Kirumi stayed silent for a moment. "If we give up now, we're done for."

The two turned to her.

"Don't get me wrong, I find this situation extremely confusing but... Between us, haven't you realized today was odd?"

Shuichi looked at Miu. "I mean... I did find some things odd... Like the pattern for the traps had changed..."

"Yeah! Nothing activated unless we did it ourselves! But those traps were even more dangerous than the last days!"

The violinist perked up. "Do you think... It has something to do with Tsumugi's death?"

The mercenary shrugged. "To be honest, I am not sure. But I feel like we need to take a step back at the situation. Perhaps that's what Monokuma was hinting at."

Shuichi pondered. "To take a step back, huh..."

That was the only possibility, but the situation didn't make sense.

No matter how you see it, Monokuma was the one to kill Tsumugi.

No matter how much they investigated the academy, the results would still be the same.

They didn't even have a plan to investigate because they didn't know _what_ to investigate.

... Perhaps he should still follow Kirumi's advice.

**Obtained truth bullet! Trap patterns**

"And as much as it sickens me to say it..." Kirumi continued. "This bear enjoys watching us arguing and distrust each other. I doubt he wanted to let someone die without a trial."

Shuichi's heart skipped a beat. "Does that mean... Someone will get executed wrongly?"

The three looked at each other.

"... I don't know. I'm as much in the dark as you are."

They decided to continue their investigation. Miu left to go to the second floor and go through the other labs.

As for Shuichi and Kirumi, they made their way to Rantaro's lab.

But the moment the door of the lab was in view, they saw him.

The medic was standing in front of his lab, staring at the void.

"Rantaro...?" Shuichi called, keeping his distance.

He didn't move. His fists were clenched and his eyes narrowed.

"... I failed her."

"Huh?"

"I could have saved her. I could have tried. I failed as a soldier. Again."

Kirumi approached him. "There was nothing any of us could have done to save her, Rantaro. Monokuma is at fault."

He bitterly chuckled. "Ironic isn't it?"

Shuichi joined them. His eyes widened when he managed to get a glimpse at Rantaro's lab.

_"... To be the reason she died when your role is to save her life."_

His entire lab was ruined. Cables were hanging from the walls, the walls and floor were burned, leaving marks everywhere. The air may have been heavy in the building, but his lab was a lot worse, it almost made Shuichi feel nauseous. The smell of burnt and gasoline didn't help.

And in the middle of the lab was...

_Tsumugi's lock._

The scene was hard to look at.

It was easy to tell it was the start of the fire.

**Obtained truth bullet! Rantaro's lab**

Kirumi entered the lab. "... If you do not wish to investigate your lab, Shuichi and I can do it."

"It's fine." he shook his head. "Everything is ruined. Monokuma will rearrange everything after the trial anyway."

The three investigated here. There wasn't much to see, as they expected.

After a while, Kirumi broke the silence. "This trial is going to be much harder than the others."

Rantaro turned back to the exit. "You don't need to tell me." he looked back one last time at the scene. "Tsumugi's lock was right here. She didn't even have time to activate it before the explosion."

**Obtained truth bullet! Tsumugi's lock**

Shuichi felt sick even being here. She must have been so close and yet...

She couldn't.

The rules were quite simple and yet they weren't able to do it.

To activate a lock between 8 AM and 3 PM.

They had spent too much time trying to get to the building that no one realized Tsumugi didn't have time to get hers.

7 hours. And still unable to do it.

Shuichi felt ashamed just thinking about that.

**Obtained truth bullet! Sanzu garden rules**

But just as the two stepped out of the lab...

**_Ding dong bing bong!_ **

... The investigation was over.

After the other investigations, they still had an idea of what was going on, on the potential murder weapon, the way things happened, but here?

They didn't even know why they had to do a trial in the first place.

They didn't know what happened, nor what to look for.

This felt frustrating.

They could only go back to the shrine of judgment.

The walk that felt like an eternity. Kirumi was somehow still calm- although he could sense a hint of worry in her. Rantaro was clearly mad. At himself? Monokuma? Both? He didn't know.

Shuichi was still impressed by the amount of self-control they had. If he was alone, he would probably have screamed his lungs out. Although the fear was mostly covered by the immense amount of confusion this entire situation radiated.

Everyone was already here at the shrine of judgment.

Although everyone was perhaps not the correct term to use. After all, they were eight of them now. They were sixteen at the beginning, and now only half of them were still alive.

And he didn't even know if the eight of them would be back here at the end of the trial, or if one of them was going to be executed for nothing.

None of them were in the mood to talk about anything, which was understandable.

Shuichi got startled when the elevator opened, inviting them to the trial room they all despised.

Of course, the descent to the trial grounds was silent, aside from the usual noise of the elevator.

Doing a trial for someone when the killer was the one judging them... It felt ridiculous.

The elevator opened to reveal the courtroom, but something was... Different.

And that's when he noticed.

Behind Monokuma's throne, on the wall was... A giant clock?

It was one of those clocks you would see in Europe, except with a steampunk feel. The cogs were visible, ticking every second. The large iron hands of the clock were impressive, to say the least, pointing at the time. 4:30 PM.

"What... Is that?" Kiyo asked.

"Why, I'm glad you asked!" the bear cheered. "You see, I felt like it would add a nice feeling to the courtroom. Futuristic is nice and all, but the good ol' clocks are also welcome! This is mostly a piece of decoration."

He was like a child describing his room with his friends.

Except he was a murderous bear, and they weren't his friends.

For now, they had to discover what on earth Monokuma want them to find.

And hope for the best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Place your bets, because these are confusing times.
> 
> Also from now I'll take longer doing the chapters because going back to college (and not hoping for a 2nd quarantine)


	31. Chapter 4: Dance, dance, hanged puppets - Deadly life (part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone still has to do a class trial despite Tsumugi being executed... What is going on?

...

Monokuma explained once again the rules of the trial.

Shuichi was starting to get more and more annoyed every time the robotic bear opened his mouth.

Once he was done, Rantaro turned to him. "Are we going to ignore the fact that you are the one who killed Tsumugi and that there shouldn't even be a trial in the first place?"

"Sheesh, you're persistent, aren't you?" Monokuma pouted. "I thought I made myself quite clear! Someone is responsible for Tsumugi Shirogane's death! And you have to find the blackened, just like in each trial!"

“Only the person who does the final blow is the blackened.” the medic quoted. "Those are the words you said last time. How should that be any different here?"

The bear groaned. "There _is_ someone blackened here! Sheesh! Just investigate already! If you don't, I'm executing all of you!"

Was Rantaro trying to get some information out of him?

He fell silent.

"Although he raises a good point." Kirumi continued. "Even if this was somehow a murder, you still executed her. We cannot investigate a case if the killer is the judge."

Kokichi pondered. "Perhaps... He's hinting at the fact that someone wanted Tsumugi dead?"

Ryoma turned to him. "Whether someone wanted a person to be dead or not, facts cannot be changed. Tsumugi was executed. And as far as I know, Monokuma didn't make any trials after Tenko's, Maki's and Angie's executions."

"But still..." Shuichi muttered. "Why would Monokuma organize a trial if he executed Tsumugi?"

Kiyo glanced at the bear. "That is quite the change of pattern. I thought you were adamant about your rules. And yet you broke them."

His response was a laugh. "Puhuhu! That's quite the assumption you're making! I still follow my own rules, mind you!"

"Following your own rules...?" Shuichi unconsciously repeated. "How can you still be following your rules here?"

Kirumi nodded. "I had taken a look at the rules earlier. And I quote rule number 9 'Monokuma will never directly participate in a murder.' Which is what you did."

Kaito put his hands on his podium. "How about that! You broke your own rules! Admit it!"

Monokuma went silent.

Did they finally-

_"Wrong!"_

It was too good to be true.

"I absolutely did not break my rules! Get that in your tiny little meat heads!"

"You fucking-"

Ryoma sighed, interrupting Kaito's incoming rant. "If we continue like this, we'll get nothing done."

"Well, we have to know why Monokuma wants us to solve a murder that is clearly not one." Kirumi waved a hand.

Shuichi checked back the rule.

_'Monokuma will never directly participate in a murder.'_

Since this is Monokuma they're talking about, there must have been a way for him to find a loophole in this rule.

_Come on... Think!_

...

Perhaps...

"What if... Monokuma considers himself not to have _directly_ participated in the murder?" he suggested.

Miu frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I-I don't know but..." he replied. "That must be what he is talking about, right?"

"You mean Monokuma only being the indirect cause of the murder?" Kiyo raised an eyebrow.

"That's the only thing that fits. But that doesn't make any sense." Ryoma frowned.

Miu slammed her hands on her podium. "Slow down. How the fuck could Monokuma be the indirect cause of the murder?? He executed Tsumugi, didn't he? That's an execution, still not a murder!"

"Well, do you have any other idea of what this is all about?" Kirumi asked.

The street artist fell silent. "I... I don't, but still..."

Rantaro's eyes were scanning the monopad. "The Monokuma file says that Tsumugi died from an execution. No matter how I look at it, Monokuma is the culprit."

"And yet that's not the answer he wants..." Kokichi muttered.

Could something be implied in the Monokuma file that they overlooked?

In every single case, Monokuma was listing the major points. The time of death, the place of the body discovery, the murder weapon, and the potential injuries, even though Rantaro was always double-checking everything.

Here, it specified the time of death, the place of the body discovery, and...

"Hm?" Shuichi looked at the last line again.

_Died from an execution._

This meant more like the way Tsumugi died, but... They were still looking for a blackened who supposedly killed Tsumugi.

...

No, that couldn't be it, could it?

"Hey... I know this sounds crazy but..." he started.

The others turned to him.

"What if... The execution was not the way she died but rather... The murder weapon itself?"

Kaito raised a hand. "Hold up, what?"

"Well... In all Monokuma files, we had the basic info so I was thinking... Perhaps the killer planned things to make an execution happen?" he explained.

"... And thus Monokuma would be the murder weapon itself, and not the killer." Rantaro concluded.

The others fell silent. Shuichi thought his theory was too crazy to be true but glancing at Monokuma, the way he was grinning at the scene...

He was right.

_Someone used him as a weapon._

"That's... That's insane..." Miu muttered.

Kiyo narrowed his eye. "Which means someone went out of their way to make Tsumugi's execution happen, and why Monokuma considers it a murder."

"Someone planned an execution? But... How?" Kokichi asked.

Shuichi looked at the rules to see if they were still available. He had checked them earlier, and they were clear.

The only requirement for them to stay alive was to pass the key on their locks two times a day, during specific intervals of time. Seven hours to do so, or else an execution was waiting for them.

The killer used that rule to their advantage and forced the prodigy to break it.

"I think... Whoever did this arranged things to make sure Tsumugi couldn't get her lock in time. That way, she would be executed... That's what I think."

Rantaro nodded. "That sounds more than plausible but there are so many things wrong here."

"What do you mean?" Ryoma frowned.

"Well..." the medic started. "First off, supposing they really did make sure an execution would happen, that could mean Tsumugi was not necessarily the target."

Kokichi perked up. "You think the killer left it to chance? Or-" he stiffened. "...Karma?"

Kirumi rolled a strand of hair around her finger. "Before making assumptions, let's at least try to understand their method."

"Right..." Shuichi muttered.

"Perhaps it should be better to take it from the beginning." Kiyo suggested. "It will help us grasp the situation."

The violinist nodded.

"Supposing the killer planned everything by wasting time, there are several possibilities for what happened." Rantaro pondered.

Ryoma crossed his arms. "If the killer wanted to force one of us not to activate their lock, they should have known about their placements. Which is unlikely."

"The locks were spread throughout the entire academy, but on the main spots and buildings, from what I've seen. It could be possible to know everyone's placements, but still very difficult." Kirumi continued.

Looking at things this way, it seemed unlikely that Tsumugi was really the target.

And yet, her words echoed a thousand times through his head.

_"I knew the mastermind was coming for me anyway."_

She was far from stupid. Her intelligence was her ultimate talent after all.

That didn't sound like Tsumugi _wasn't_ the target.

But if the killer was the mastermind, why organize a trial for themselves when they could have gotten away with it?

The rules already stated that the game would continue until two students remained.

Nothing made sense. Was Tsumugi wrong to think it was the mastermind? Was it really someone else?

Shuichi shook his head. _Focus_.

"The killer only needed someone not to be able to activate both of their locks, right? Perhaps they didn't search through the entire academy for this..." he suggested.

Miu pondered. "The main building had most of our locks, it's possible they only searched through here, right?"

"Hold on a second." Kaito interrupted. "Yeah, it had most of them but... What were the odds Tsumugi had both of her locks in here?"

Kokichi seemed to start thinking as well but stayed silent.

"That reinforces the idea that the target could have been anyone." Ryoma added. "As long as one person had both of their locks here, they were doomed."

"Were they?" Kirumi countered.

Shuichi blinked. "What do you mean?"

The mercenary glanced at him. "I will remind you that my lock was in the dining hall. I was able to reach it from outside, but then the entrance to the rest of the building locked itself."

"And where was your other lock?" Kiyo asked.

"My guess was in the game room."

Rantaro fiddled with his necklace. "That throws away the theory that the target could have been anyone, then."

Miu blinked. "Huh?"

"Well..." he continued. "Kirumi could also have been the target for this. But she wasn't."

"But that could also mean the blackened only wanted one target." Kiyo countered.

He made a good point. Which one was it?

"We should look at what the killer did exactly. Perhaps it will give us more clues." the medic suggested.

Miu frowned. "Well, they made sure that Tsumugi couldn't reach her lock in time, right?"

Ryoma sighed. "And here I thought that couldn't be any more obvious."

Kirumi crossed her arms. "Then we're probably thinking about the same thing."

Shuichi thought back at this morning's events.

The main entrance collapsing, the dining hall blocked, the window not opening...

"The blackened probably blocked all main entrances to make sure we couldn't enter, right?"

The young woman nodded. "The academy may have been a nightmare these last few days, but I doubt Monokuma would block all entrances. That looked way too odd."

"That would be against his own rules after all..." Kokichi muttered. "If he made sure that she couldn't access her locks, then he would also be the direct cause of death, not just the weapon."

"So the killer tampered with the entrances to make us waste time entering the building." Kaito noted. "Probably the worst murder method I could possibly think of."

Shuichi perked up at the last sentence.

The murder method...

Why an execution? Why did the killer decide to kill her this way? Was it because in their current situation they were often by groups of two and they couldn't act directly without being caught?

Even then, if the killer was able to tamper with the building, they could have killed her another way, right? The traps were more than enough to kill them. If they just tampered with one, they could have killed anyone this way.

He decided to talk about this. "Hey... Don't you guys think it's strange?"

Ryoma frowned. "Your point being?"

"I mean..." he started, already nervous. "They could have used any murder method... Why going out of their way to make sure Tsumugi gets executed?"

"That raises the second thing I find strange in this." Rantaro raised a hand. "That probably sounds odd but..."

_"Did the killer know that this technique would make them the blackened?"_

Shuichi's heart skipped a beat. "W-What?"

"Think about it for a sec." he continued. "None of us knew about Monokuma being the murder weapon until the trial. There's a chance they didn't know either."

Miu slammed her hands on her podium. "Now wait a second! Why would anyone try to kill without wanting to escape??"

"Let's calm down for a moment." Kirumi crossed her arms. "There is also the possibility they asked Monokuma beforehand and did all of this to confuse us."

The others turned to the bear.

"Puhuhu... Who knows?"

The violinist rolled his eyes. "So we're not further ahead than before, huh..."

But still...

Was there a reason why they used an execution as a murder weapon? Was it so they could forge an alibi more easily?

But if Rantaro was right, what was the point of killing without the will to escape?

Was it... for fun? Like the mastermind?

Was it to prove a point?

Or perhaps...

Just to stop the motive?

But still... The blackened could have tried to escape in the process.

Shuichi thought back at the previous motives.

Tenko and Gonta prepared their plan as a way to gain more info at the trial and make sure Monokuma doesn't kill them all.

Maki desperately wanted to escape with Kaede, although her plan backfired.

Angie had been consumed by the despair disease and slaughtered Himiko without a sparkle of sanity running through her mind. Escaping wasn't even her main intention.

But here... It felt different. Nothing was clear at all.

Perhaps he should settle with Kirumi's theory. He should stop thinking about it, for now.

Ryoma sighed. "Whatever the motive, we have a blackened to find. Let's get back to the subject already."

"Right..."

"So? The killer obviously made us waste time by tampering with the building!" Kaito waved a hand.

Kirumi pinched the bridge of her nose. "Yes, but how?"

Rantaro pondered. "The traps were behaving very differently today. I wouldn't be surprised if the entire academy was tampered with."

Kokichi's eyes widened. "T-The entire academy?? I thought we said that they only explored the main building!"

Ryoma started thinking. "If all of the traps were linked to the main building then there's a possibility they tampered inside the building and it orchestrated a chain reaction."

"So the main way to do all of this was by tamp-"

**_* B O N G *_ **

An extremely loud bell noise echoed through the courtroom, startling everyone.

"What the fuck?" Kaito yelled at Monokuma.

The bear didn't look that impressed. "Hm? Oh, the clock is simply here to tell the time!"

The clock indicated 5:00 PM.

"But hey, it's nice to look at, dontchu think?"

Shuichi preferred to ignore the bear.

"Whatever. Let's just continue." Rantaro rubbed his eyes in exasperation.

_"We have to find how the killer pulled out all of this."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The fourth trial is famous for the general confusion, isn't it?


	32. Chapter 4: Dance, dance, hanged puppets - Deadly life (part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The culprit actually used a very unorthodox method to commit their crime, using the execution as a murder weapon. But how did they pull that off?

...

"So, where do we even start?" Kaito broke the silence.

"For now let's just recap what we know about what happened." Kiyo suggested.

Kirumi put a finger on her chin. "We know the culprit used the execution as a murder weapon. They made us waste more and more time, made Tsumugi unable to reach her lock and thus breaking the rule of the motive."

Shuichi nodded. "And they tampered with the building for this by blocking all entrances."

Kokichi fiddled with his sleeve. "Perhaps... we should focus on that first?"

Miu cracked her knuckles. "Sounds good to me."

Rantaro briefly raised his hand. "We should focus on the main entrance. That's the first one that was blocked."

"We basically turned the handle, and the moment we started opening the door we heard a weird noise, then an explosion and we rushed outside." Ryoma explained. "I tried to investigate that earlier but everything was buried under rubble."

That wasn't good. They were already short on clues, they didn't need an unsolvable mystery. But they couldn't give up now.

"Still, an explosion doesn't happen like that, there's something you must have activated!" Kaito put his hands on his podium.

Rantaro shrugged. "Well, I don't know what I could possibly have activated by turning the handle."

Kokichi started thinking. "... Are we sure this isn't a normal trap?"

That couldn't be possible, Shuichi knew it.

"The pattern of the traps was different today, remember?"

Miu perked up. "Yeah! Nothing activated unless we passed a card on our locks!"

"Which makes it impossible for the door to have exploded 'naturally'." Rantaro gestured quotation marks.

"So then what happened?" Kokichi asked.

"Someone must have trapped the door." Kiyo concluded.

How does one trap a door? They would probably have more clues if everything wasn't under rubbles. There weren't a thousand ways to do so, right?

"I was thinking..." Shuichi started. "This morning, when Kiyo and I got to the love hotel for his lock, the cable exploded... Perhaps it has something to do with it?"

Kaito nodded. "I saw that with you earlier and yeah, I don't see anything else that could possibly be used as a way to make shit explode."

"An explosion with a cable? Considering the number of wires hanging around the building I wouldn't be surprised." Kirumi thought.

"And yet we simply turned the handle and pushed the door just a little when the explosion happened." Ryoma frowned.

The violinist didn't know much about mechanics, unfortunately. "But... Perhaps it was enough to activate the thing?"

Kaito was nervously tapping his finger on the podium. "The only thing I can see working is by connecting two wires together to activate something..."

Shuichi pondered.

Maybe...

"What if by pushing the door, the cables moved? That could work, right?" he suggested.

"If both cables are separated and Rantaro simply pushes the door..."

"... The cables would connect, right?"

Ryoma shook his head. "That's a little too convenient, don't you think?"

Shuichi frowned. "What do you mean?"

"What were the odds the correct door would be opened? If Rantaro pushed the other door, nothing would have happened. That plan requires a perfect placement. And whoever did this would have probably needed to test it."

Kiyo nodded. "That's a good point. Considering the number of precautions the blackened took, I doubt they would let this one pass."

"But still, that's the closest we have to a solution." Rantaro noted.

Perhaps there was something he forgot in his theory. There was definitely a way to connect both cables. That's the only possible solution.

_Think!_

...

Maybe... Did they really need to connect the cables? All they needed was to allow the current to pass through them. Perhaps there was a way to make it happen?

A way to make electricity run without direct contact...

"... That's it!" Shuichi perked up. "Water conducts electricity, right?"

Kaito's eyes widened. "Yeah! You mean..."

"If someone created a puddle of water, then precision wouldn't be necessary! No matter which door you push..."

"... The cable would touch the water, and the electricity would flow!"

Kirumi nodded. "That sounds plausible if you put it that way. But could those two cables really have created an explosion?"

She was right... They assumed that both wires connected would create an explosion but would it really be enough?

"Well..." Rantaro pondered. "Considering the amount of damaged wires we saw in the building, I wouldn't be surprised if there was some kind of mechanism that would make it possible."

"That sounds too convenient, don't you think?" Kiyo narrowed his eye.

Shuichi didn't know what to say. A part of him said the therapist was right, but another was yelling at him to consider the medic's theory.

Just thinking about what happened that day... The traps had gone wild, almost always exploding in their faces. He remembers the destroyed cable near the love hotel. The dining hall had several cables that were cut. And the whole building had hanging wires everywhere. What was the culprit even trying to achieve?

Supposing they cut the cables, that must have done something!

"Hey... We know the culprit destroyed a large amount of cables in the building, so..." Shuichi started. "What if the culprit tried to deactivate the traps by cutting the wires?"

Miu frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Well... The traps had lots of cables connected to them, right? Perhaps the culprit tried to deactivate them by cutting everything?" he suggested.

Kirumi put a finger on her chin. "Which means they managed to deactivate most of them, but what about those with the locks, then?"

Rantaro was nervously tapping his finger on his arm. "Perhaps by activating a lock, there's some kind of signal sent through the cables, but since they were not connected anymore, a backup mechanism activated, and that's what we all experienced this morning."

That sounded more than plausible. None of them had tried to destroy the traps, but surely Monokuma would have something to back things up.

Less frequent traps, but stronger ones. Like several of them activating at once.

At least they knew the reason why the pattern of the traps was so strange.

"Quick question though..." Kaito raised a hand. "When did they do all that?"

Miu bitterly chuckled. "It's a tradition to prepare everything at nighttime, isn't it?"

Unfortunately, she was right. Shuichi would probably never see night the same way.

_That is, if they ever survive the trial._

He tried to brush off the thoughts.

...

"Um... What does all of this have to do with the door?" Kokichi asked.

Shuichi was starting to have a better idea of the situation. "Well... Supposing activating locks created bigger and more dangerous traps, perhaps reconnecting cables would do the same."

Rantaro nodded. "And since we talked about a quota of traps, the system would try to respect it by activating several of them at once."

Ryoma agreed. "That sounds like a solid pattern. I can see one of those traps being an explosion."

At least the mystery of the main door was solved.

By separating cables and make sure two of them would connect by pushing the door, the traps that were supposed to be activated in normal circumstances all activated at once...

... And thus created the explosion and blocked them out.

"I think I get it..." Miu muttered. "But what about the dining hall?"

"Well..." Kokichi frowned. "They used the same method, right?"

Rantaro shook his head. "Nope. Something doesn't add up."

Huh? Why couldn't they?

Maybe...

"You mean the nighttime rule, right?"

Ryoma crossed his arms, thinking. "The dining hall is closed at nighttime. They couldn't have entered it to tamper with the wires."

Then how?

Shuichi thought back at when Kirumi and him investigated here.

He had pulled the wire going up to the ceiling and pulled it- only for them to fall down.

"Perhaps they were cut from somewhere else?" he suggested.

"The culprit may have cut a lot of wires, but how could they be sure that they actually cut the right ones?" Kirumi countered. "You couldn't have known unless you entered."

There must be a way somehow.

He saw Rantaro checking his monopad. "... The rules say that the dining hall and the gymnasium are closed at nighttime. But are they _locked_?" he turned to the bear.

Everyone more or less did the same.

"Well?"

"Puhuhu... You shall ask, then I shall answer!~" he laughed.

_"The rules forbid anyone from stepping into those rooms! But they are not locked!"_

The medic slowly turned back to the group. "We have a plausible explanation, then."

"The killer could have opened the door and checked by pulling the wires from outside."

Miu frowned. "Aren't those wires attached to the ceiling? How can you pull a wire and check the dining hall at the same time?"

Kiyo put a finger on his chin. "My guess would be some sort of cane. But do any of your labs have this?"

Kaito perked up. "Yeah! There's a crowbar in my lab!"

At least this was solved.

_* B i n g *_

The clock ringed once more. This time the noise was a bit higher-pitched and less loud, thankfully.

5:30 PM.

It was pretty normal for a clock to ring at this time. It just felt weird to hear a bell in the middle of a trial.

_Especially those trials._

The others tried to ignore it.

"Anyway..." Rantaro broke the silence.

"So the killer opened the door, used Kaito's crowbar to pull on cables to check which ones were linked to Kirumi's lock in the dining hall, and cut the correct ones?" he summed the situation up.

Shuichi nodded. "And when I pulled the wires, they came down pretty easily."

At least this mystery was solved.

And considering how many cables were cut, it was normal for the door to lock itself.

The culprit must have known that so many cut cables would block the entrances.

 _They were very smart_ , he thought.

"Say..." Kokichi raised a hand. "We've been talking about cutting cables but... Was there a way to do so?"

Kaito nodded. "There are a lot of wire cutters in my lab, and they were in different places. That must be where they got them from. One was even broken."

To think the killer took time to do all this when the academy was considered a nightmare... That was a terrifying thought.

"So, what now?" Ryoma asked.

"Now the window at the pool area." Rantaro replied. "We couldn't open it, so we had to destroy it."

Miu had suggested earlier that there was a possibility it always was unmovable but... Perhaps they should still investigate.

"Did any of you inspect it? I was out of the building the entire investigation..." the biker asked. "Besides I don't know if I would have been able to climb the rope anyway..." he muttered the last part.

"From what I've seen, there were two parts that probably shouldn't be together if we wanted the window to open." Kirumi explained as Miu nodded.

"Yeah! That was weird! But I don't even know if the handle was just some kind of decoration or if someone actually managed to do something to the window."

Rantaro hummed. "I see..."

"Um... May I ask..." Kokichi shyly raised a hand. "I'm sorry if this sounds dumb but... How can you even tamper with a window?"

Shuichi started thinking. "Well... Perhaps it has something to do with what Kirumi said?"

Kiyo narrowed his eye. "What material is it?"

Kirumi scratched the back of her neck. "Steel. Or at least metal. I'm not an expert in that field."

Then what could have been done... _Think!_

...

"Kaito, you did mention something about a used welder, right?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah... Someone used the welder from my lab! You think someone used it to fuck up the window?"

He nodded. "How else could someone have tampered with a metal window?"

Kirumi hummed. "That sounds more than plausible. If two parts were fused together, then there was no way for us to move it."

"It wasn't moving a millimeter when I tried. That must be it." Ryoma confirmed.

The more they went through the trial, the crazier things went.

What kind of person would do this? What kind of person would go out of their way to make all those ingenuous plans to make someone die?

Why was this happening to them?

It was hard to believe someone in this room actually did this.

He thought back at Tsumugi, when she last spoke to Rantaro.

_You're smart and I always did my best to explore all the possibilities... to make sure you didn't create a giant complicated scheme. I know you are smart enough to do so. Heh._

...

_Was it-_

_No. Now was not the time to accuse people over this. Focus._

_But please let it not be Rantaro. Please._

...

Why was he hoping that it wasn't someone? What was the point? If they were here, that meant one thing.

Someone is going to be executed.

They would leave with seven people in the elevator. Not eight.

He should be used to it by now as Rantaro said but...

That was still a terrifying thought.

For now, he should focus on the trial.

"I have one question, though..." Kiyo raised a hand. "We all agreed they tampered with the window but..."

"How did they get here?"

Shuichi perked up.

"That's right..." Ryoma continued. "I was barely able to climb on top of the deckchairs and got here with the help of Kirumi."

The mercenary nodded. "Indeed. And the sole reason I was able to get here was because of my physical abilities, even though my shoulder still hurt because of yesterday."

_No one knows about her condition aside from him and Rantaro. He almost forgot._

"And I couldn't have stacked the deckchairs by myself before any of you ask."

"None of us could have." Kiyo shook his head. "They must have used something else, then."

"Unless the window was truly unmovable in the first place and forgot it existed." Ryoma added.

"Considering how carefully they planned everything, I doubt so." Rantaro shook his head.

Kaito turned to the street artist. "Hey Miu... Don't you have a stepladder in your lab?"

She shook her head. "Nope. I mean yeah I have one but... I may or may not have gotten a lock and a key to lock the paint lab. The stepladder was in there."

Shuichi nodded. "Then we can rule out the stepladder as the way they climbed up..."

Then what?

There aren't a lot of ladders in the academy.

"What about the stepladder in the library?" Kirumi suggested.

"Ain't that thing super heavy? I know whoever did this was probably really determined but still..." Miu frowned.

Rantaro hummed. "That's not impossible, though."

Perhaps they should settle with this theory for now.

"Hey... I... have a question though..." Kokichi asked.

_"How did they get out?"_

Shuichi turned to him. "What do you mean?"

"Well..." he started. "They couldn't go by the dining hall or the gymnasium because of the nighttime rule, and they must have made the trap on the main door inside... So how did they get out?"

That was... Actually a good question.

Kirumi shook her head. "I don't think it would be that difficult."

"The culprit had a crowbar, right? If they simply stabilized the cable as they slightly opened the door to slip out, they could have left without a trace."

"Fair enough." Ryoma spat.

The courtroom went silent for a moment.

There are still a lot of things to find out. After all, they only talked about the blocked entrances.

From the rest of the traps, to everything else that happened.

Shuichi couldn't help but feel afraid.

These past few days, he thought they were finally getting together. They were finally becoming a solid group, helping each other up.

Miu... Kokichi... Kiyo... Kirumi... Kaito... Ryoma... And even Rantaro despite the 'incident'...

They were all getting together to combat despair. To fight Monokuma.

What happened to these times?

These times they were eating together in the dorms?

When they were playing cards in the only safe spot of the academy?

When they talked to each other about their own issues?

Why did this have to happen?

Why did anyone have to do all this?

_Why-_

**_* B O N G *_ **

The bell startled them all once more, waking Shuichi from his thoughts.

He instinctively turned to the clock.

6:00 PM.

What was the deal with that thing?

Shuichi was starting to think it was specifically made to throw the doubt.

Monokuma was grinning, as always.

As for the others, it seemed that they were starting to think about this strange addition to the courtroom as well.

But now was not the time to talk about a piece of decoration.

They still had a lot to figure out, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I tried putting illustrations for clarity. Hope this helps.
> 
> Also, I made a popularity poll! Out of curiosity, that's all. https://www.strawpoll.me/20903053


	33. Chapter 4: Dance, dance, hanged puppets - Deadly life (part 4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The culprit planned everything so carefully, including making sure all entrances were blocked. There is still a lot to figure out, as well as their identity...

...

"So, what do we talk about now?" Ryoma broke the silence.

"If we want to fully grasp the situation, we should perhaps talk about this morning's events." Kiyo suggested.

"Agreed." Kirumi nodded. "Considering how confusing the situation is, we cannot afford to miss any clues."

She was right... Even if this meant taking more time, their lives are on the line.

And Tsumugi...

She deserves to have her killer exposed.

Justice has to be made.

_But was it worth executing someone?_

...

_Why am I thinking about this? It's their life or ours._

_Focus already._

"Anyway." Kaito put his hands on his podium. "After we realized the dining hall and the main entrance were blocked, we all went our own ways to get our locks, right?"

Rantaro nodded. "Ryoma and I were at the shrine of judgment and Tenko's lab. For Tenko's lab, we got weirdly animated mannequins ready to murder us and the shrine felt like it was going to collapse any moment."

The smaller man crossed his arms. "We're still following the pattern here. Lock activated, dangerous trap activated."

At least it wasn't contradicting any theories they made, for once. Which was nice.

They already established that someone tampered with them. According to what Rantaro just described, the irregular pattern seemed constant, if that made sense.

Kaito nervously tapped his finger on his arm. "I was with Tsumugi at the time... We went behind the dorms and then directly at the pool since she didn't have her lock." He glanced away. "Same thing, though. Lock activated, spikes rising from the ground."

"I went directly at the pool since my first lock was in the dining hall." Kirumi explained. "But as Kaito said, he and Tsumugi joined me shortly after."

Shuichi glanced at the others. "We went to the love hotel for Kiyo's lock, and right after he activated it, some turrets started shooting weapons at us... After that, we had to go to the death road of despair for my lock. And soon after I activated it, the floor collapsed. Good thing I was on the ladder in time..."

"I was with Kokichi at the time, my lock was at Kaito's lab and Kokichi's was next to the wisterias." Miu continued.

Kokichi nodded in agreement. "We were never separated though..."

"And how did things go out?" Rantaro narrowed his eyes at them.

"W-Well..." Kokichi glanced away for a moment. "After we got my lock, we had to quickly run to the stairs if we didn't want to get shot by arrows and spears."

"It seems you have gone through a situation similar to ours." Kiyo noted.

Near the love hotel...

Shuichi still had chills thinking about all those weapons.

"And when we went to Kaito's lab, same thing. We activated the lock and ran for our lives or else we would fall to our doom in a pitfall who knows how deep." Miu sighed.

Kirumi shook her head. "I doubt anything will help us here. Unless someone has noticed something strange?"

They looked at each other but it looked like no one had anything to say.

"... I feared that would be the case."

So they were no closer to the truth, then.

"It's alright, let's just continue." Rantaro suggested. "After the locks, we all went to the pool at some point. Did you guys see anything suspicious?"

Shuichi thought back at this morning. They had stacked deckchairs and...

"The storage room! A trap activated here when you opened the door, right?" Shuichi turned to the mercenary.

She nodded. "Indeed. It happened right when I got here."

Kiyo pondered. "And yet you didn't activate a lock, right?"

Kirumi shook her head. "I simply pushed the door."

The medic was growing more nervous by the minute. "Were there any cables in there?"

Miu raised a hand. "Yeah! I was investigating the pool and there were cut cables here!"

"You think it's the same as the main door trap?" Kaito suggested.

She hummed. "I don't know... I don't remember seeing water on the floor. Just cut cables."

Perhaps water was not necessary here?

"But the door can only open one way, right? There's nothing risky by putting simple cables here..." Shuichi thought.

Rantaro nodded. "So, same trap as the main door, then. I'm not surprised."

"Perhaps it is better this way." Kiyo sighed.

Indeed. If they could, for once, stop thinking about an obscure way to trap rooms, it could be nice.

"Then, Kaito and Ryoma went to get the baseball bat in his lab while Kirumi and I went to Gonta's." Rantaro continued.

"Oh, yeah! Now that I think about it, it took us a shit ton of time because of the ground collapsing every ten seconds!" Kaito exclaimed.

"And yet we didn't activate anything." Ryoma frowned.

Shuichi raised an eyebrow. "Are you guys sure?"

"Positive." Kirumi replied. "We were even more on guard than usual. I understand when it comes to traps indoors, but we would have seen one if it was outside."

Rantaro nodded. "That's definitely something we never encountered before. Neither cables nor a lock."

That was strange.

The violinist could understand the previous ones, but this one was out of place.

If there was no visible trap, then what could it have been?

"You guys went to Kaito's lab, right?" Kokichi asked. "I... may have a theory..."

"Which is?" Ryoma asked.

"Well... Miu and I were right here before so... Perhaps the trap activated again?" he suggested.

"Yeah! The floor collapsed beneath your feet, right? Maybe the trap put itself back just enough to be reactivated once you step on it again!" Miu exclaimed.

"This sounds like a solid theory." Kiyo agreed.

"It would fit the pattern as well." Kirumi nodded. "I don't see anything else working."

He hadn't tested it, but if the four agreed on the matter, perhaps that was it.

"There's something that was bothering me in Gonta's lab, though." Rantaro noted.

The mercenary glanced at him. "I figured that something was bothering you, but you dismissed it."

He put his hands on the podium. "Yes, and I shouldn't have."

Shuichi frowned. "What is it?"

"You see..." Rantaro started. "I went several times in there before and I am more than certain that..."

_"... There was a ladder in there."_

He perked up. "A ladder? But... You guys came back with a rope, right?"

"I said there _was_." he continued. "Before today, there was a ladder. A wooden one. And it wasn't here when Kirumi and I went in there."

Shuichi couldn't back up that claim. And judging by everyone else's faces, no one could.

"Rantaro... Are you sure there was a ladder in there?" Kiyo questioned.

"Someone took the ladder out. I know there was one." he gripped the podium.

That was strange...

... But how would Rantaro know that?

"Quick question though..." Kaito looked at the medic. "What were you doing in Gonta's lab, before?"

He quickly glanced away. "That's... not important. I just know a ladder was in there."

_What was he hiding?_

"Anyway..." Ryoma changed the subject. "Perhaps the culprit took it to the main building so we wouldn't have an easy way to reach the window."

That looked plausible. But he hadn't seen anything in the main building.

Where does one even hide a ladder?

_Think!_

...

Maybe...

"The wooden rods! Kaito, remember in front of your lab?" Shuichi exclaimed.

"Yeah, there were wooden sticks inside one of the barrels. A part of the roof collapsed and knocked the barrel over. What does this have to do with anything?" he slightly tilted his head to the side.

"That must be the ladder, then, right?" Kokichi perked up. "Maybe the culprit took it apart and hid the pieces in the barrel!"

Shuichi blinked. "That's... Exactly what I was thinking, actually."

"You have better deduction skills than you give yourself credit for, Kokichi." Kiyo smiled.

"No it's just..." he scratched the back of his neck. "When seemingly random things happen I tend to look a bit too much into it... That's all."

"If the culprit really hid the pieces in there and the barrel was knocked over just as Kaito and Shuichi passed in front of it... I don't think it was _that_ random."

_... He was hinting at his talent, wasn't he?_

"But speaking of my talent, there's something that has been bothering me ever since we started..."

They all turned to him.

"For all the cases up until now, karma always played a part in some way... I was probably not around Tenko enough for me to influence the outcome of the trial but I... am the reason Kaede was the victim and H-Himiko as well..." he hesitantly muttered the last part.

"But here I... Really don't see anything fitting... Only that there's a chance Tsumugi did something wrong... And aside from the ladder pieces, nothing went wrong for the culprit." he continued, worry showing more and more on his face.

"I'm not saying that they did a good thing, I just... It feels wrong to me."

Rantaro slightly nodded. "I see..."

"Perhaps you're giving karma too much importance." Ryoma side-eyed him, tapping his finger on the podium. "It's not exactly a fully rational and physical concept. I'm not saying your talent is fake, I'm saying there is still a chance it just hasn't acted up."

Kokichi glanced away. "Maybe but... My intuition is often right about that kind of stuff." he bitterly chuckled. "I'm used to it after all."

"For now let's just focus on what we can interpret. Worrying about that isn't going to help us." he added.

"... Maybe you're right."

At least Kokichi helped them understand that part.

_* B i n g *_

The clock interrupted his thoughts. It was now 6:30 PM.

Was there even a point in putting a clock in a courtroom? Did they have a time limit? Monokuma never specified anything of the sort...

Or perhaps he was thinking too much.

The others were still troubled by the clock, but for now, it was better to just ignore it.

He had to focus on the case.

"Going back to the subject at hand..." Kirumi started. "The culprit must have known about the ladder."

"However I doubt Rantaro would mention it if he was the blackened." Kiyo countered. "That wouldn't quite make sense."

The medic sighed. "Let's get back to the investigation already."

"That reminds me, how did the killer destroy the ladder?" Miu asked.

Shuichi pondered. "I'm... pretty sure Angie's lab had an-"

He unconsciously stopped himself.

The axe was not the best memory everyone had from the last trial.

"-had saws, right?" he corrected himself.

Kaito nodded. "That kinda fits what we saw."

That proved the killer was way more careful than they expected. They must have gone through all the labs to check if anything could have been useful for them to use.

But something bothered him anyway.

"But... If they took such precautions hiding a ladder and checking everything, why didn't they take away the bat and the ropes?" he asked.

Kaito shrugged. "I had hidden the bat in the bar section of my lab. You couldn't see it unless you took away the entire bottle section."

"Can confirm. Why on Earth did you hide it here?" Ryoma turned to the biker.

"I-I didn't know if someone was going to use it for who knows what! I wanted it to be safe!" he exclaimed.

Kirumi sighed. "At least the culprit didn't think about searching through bottles. As it odd as it sounds, it is a good thing."

She was right. Who knows what they were going to do without it.

"What about the ropes?" Kokichi asked.

...

_Silence_.

The culprit could have easily hidden it in one of the barrels, like the ladder pieces.

They had gone to Gonta's lab to get the ladder, so why were the ropes left untouched?

That didn't make sense.

"Perhaps it was because they thought it wouldn't help?" Miu suggested. "It's not like we had a way to use it before the window was broken."

She was right but... That still looked strange.

"I understand why they didn't find the bat, but Rantaro and I didn't take long to find it." Kirumi explained. "That doesn't fit the amount of carefulness they had for the rest of their plan."

Kiyo frowned. "It almost feels like they wanted us to find it."

"How so?" Ryoma asked. "Their goal was to make sure Tsumugi wouldn't be able to get her lock. Why leave such an important object?"

Shuichi started thinking.

They blocked all entrances, yet they left the ropes, probably on purpose. If their goal was to keep them out of the building, then they would have disposed of them.

"It feels like they still wanted us to reach the building somehow... But only after a certain amount of time had passed."

Kirumi frowned. "But considering their objective, that doesn't make any sense."

He didn't know.

"Perhaps we shouldn't linger too much on whatever their motive was." Rantaro placed a hand on his podium. "There are a lot of other things we need to figure out."

And he was right.

They still had a killer to find.

"Next up was when we separated to find ways to get to the building." Kirumi reminded them. "We were divided into two groups. One for the dining hall and one for the main entrance."

"Our group was actually two groups." Kiyo explained. "Rantaro and Kaito were outside, while Ryoma and I were inside."

"Kokichi, Shuichi, Kirumi and I were the dining hall group, but... We didn't even get there before the explosion." Miu continued.

That's right... The explosion had startled them all. That's the last thing that happened before they were forced to watch the monokubs trying to extinguish the fire.

Which means the fire was related to the case, obviously.

"How did the fire even started?" Kokichi asked.

Shuichi remembered the medic's lab. The walls tainted black with the ashes- the explosion.

"Rantaro's lab was most likely the start of the fire... Considering the state we found it in." he glanced at him.

"... Everything was exploded. And Tsumugi's lock was in there as well." he bluntly said. It was clear he was very upset, although he tried to hide it.

"Most of the cables were cut, but there was something that bothered me." Kirumi continued.

_"The gasoline smell."_

Shuichi perked up. The smell was faint back there, but it was here. Although he doesn't remember that smell anywhere else.

"That means someone purposefully placed all the elements necessary here, from the cables to the gasoline..." he added.

Ryoma frowned. "How about the system used for this? Same as always?"

Kirumi hummed. "I wouldn't be so sure, actually. There were no cables right behind the door, from what I can remember.

They had investigated for a while here. Shuichi doesn't remember checking the back of the door, but there was a possibility Kirumi was right.

"Can confirm. All cables were scattered around. It wasn't anything automatic, I think." Rantaro added.

He had no choice but to trust them.

"Then... What happened?" Kokichi hesitantly asked.

"Well, they just had to activate a trap from somewhere other than Rantaro's lab, right?" Miu suggested.

"Hold on." Ryoma interrupted him. "There is still a possibility the monokubs moved the cables when they extinguished the fire. The lab was the start of it. It's possible they messed things up here."

"That's still unlikely." Kirumi shook her head. "Monokuma is always careful not to tamper with evidence."

"Monokuma also considered someone he killed as a victim of a murder." Kiyo countered. "He is less adamant about the rules than he lets know."

"That doesn't change the fact that the fire could have been manually created." Rantaro spat. He was growing more and more frustrated by the minute.

They argued for a while before they heard the robotic bear's laugh.

"Puhuhuhuhu... Is that a split opinion I'm hearing?"

"Please no." Shuichi muttered.

"Too bad! After all, those morphenomal trial grounds are quite expensive, might as well use them!"

He placed the key and turned it.

The podiums started elevating. Shuichi firmly gripped his'.

Once again, two sides separated but... There was a clear inequality between them.

_What created the fire in the main building?_

On the left, Ryoma and Kiyo. _The fire sparked automatically!_

On the right, Shuichi, Rantaro, Kirumi, Kaito, Miu and Kokichi. _The fire was sparked manually!_

_Scrum debate, start!_

_**Korekiyo:** _Monokuma is less adamant about the rules than what he says. He could have tampered with the **scene**.

**_Kirumi:_ **Monokuma wouldn't tamper with a crime **scene**. He still always respects that part.

**_Ryoma:_ **The culprit used the same tactic each time. There is no reason for them to use another **strategy** here.

_**Rantaro:**_ My lab's cables were scattered around, this **strategy** couldn't have worked here!

**_Korekiyo:_** Activating anything by distance would have resulted in the location of the spark being **random**.

**_Kaito:_ **There was gasoline only in this room, There's no way it could have been **random**!

**_Ryoma:_** An automatic **cut-cable** trap is the only way you could activate something from a distance at a chosen place.

**_Miu:_** There were **cut cables** everywhere in the building! You just had to know which ones to connect!

**_Korekiyo:_** We were all **together** at the time. No one could have activated anything without someone noticing.

_**Kokichi:** _We were not **together** the entire time! at some point, we separated into several groups...

**_Ryoma:_ **Creating such an explosion from somewhere else is not **possible**. That wouldn't make any sense no matter how you look at it.

_**Shuichi:** _With all the cables around and the malfunctions, it's more than **possible**! Everything up until now proved it!

...

The podiums slowly went down.

"Please! This theory could work!" Shuichi exclaimed.

"There's not even a debate. We just have to figure out how." Rantaro almost yelled.

"I still don't see how you could manually activate a fire from a distance." Ryoma replied.

Kirumi pondered. "Supposing they used the same type of technique, all they had to do was to link the cables from somewhere else, as Miu said."

"But... If manually linking the cables instantly activated the explosion..." Kokichi pondered. "They would need to do it at some point, right?"

Shuichi nodded. "Yes, just like the other traps from before. Same technique, but a different way to do so... I think."

Miu perked up. "Then the culprit is whoever connected them!"

The violinist started thinking. "Well... Kirumi, Kokichi, you and I were in the dining hall group. We didn't have access to any cables and wires..."

Kirumi nodded. "Which makes the four of us innocent."

He unconsciously sighed in relief.

"Kaito and I were the ones investigating the outside part of the main entrance. We didn't have cables either." Rantaro continued.

"And if you and I are innocent, that means..." Kaito added, visibly unsettled.

Shuichi felt a chill down his spine.

"That our two remaining suspects are Ryoma and Korekiyo, who were in the main building." Kirumi concluded.

_*** B O N G *** _

... Shuichi's heart skipped a beat as the clock ringed once again.

7:00 PM.

They had been here for two and a half hours already.

He couldn't help but wonder. Why the sudden addition? Monokuma was not the type to randomly plan things.

Or was he?

He didn't know. Trying to understand the robotic bear was a pain.

Whatever the use of this clock...

... They had two suspects to question.

They are so close to discovering the truth.

They couldn't stop now.

He glanced at Rantaro, who firmly placed his hand on the podium, his gaze fixed on the weapons maker. An emerald gaze filled with a rage that couldn't even be described through words. It was the one Shuichi was given back there, at the warehouse, but somehow even more powerful. The one that would send chills down his spine at any given time.

"Explain yourselves now."

_"Traitors."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tik tok, on the clock, but the trial don't stop, no-


	34. Chapter 4: Dance, dance, hanged puppets - Deadly life (part 5)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group is getting closer to the truth! Who between the weapons maker and the therapist is truly the blackened?

...

A heavy silence settled upon the courtroom.

None of the two suspects were talking, which clearly didn't help appease the tension in the room.

Shuichi could feel his heart racing in his chest.

He kept glancing between Rantaro, Ryoma and Kiyo.

The medic's furious gaze seemed to be aimed mostly at the smaller man, for some reason, but sometimes eyed the other.

Ryoma was as stoic as ever. How on Earth could he stay calm at a time like this?

Kiyo's nervousness was faint, but definitely here.

The others didn't dare to say a word either. It felt like whoever was going to talk first would be Rantaro's next prey.

"Answer my question."

His intense gaze didn't falter.

"Who, between you two, executed Tsumugi?"

His choice of words felt unnatural.

Up until now, he kept confronting Monokuma, saying he was the one who executed Tsumugi and that there was no trial to hold.

Hearing him radically change his attitude was not something Shuichi wanted to experience again.

After a long silence, Ryoma spoke.

"Maybe I'm the blackened. Maybe it's Korekiyo."

Shuichi swore he saw Rantaro's eye twitch.

"What. The fuck. Are you saying."

"I said what I just said." Ryoma was keeping a straight face. "Perhaps I am the blackened. Perhaps it is Kiyo."

"Don't play dumb with me. You know the answer damn well. Spit it out already." the medic's grip on the podium strengthened.

The weapons maker stayed silent.

"Since our dear friend refuses to help his class..." The violinist could only watch his partner's gaze slowly shifting to the therapist. "Let's talk to you, then."

He tapped his fingers on the podium, the eery rhythmic sound of his nails echoing through the courtroom.

"What do _you_ have to say, Kiyo?"

After a short silence, the therapist took a short breath.

"What is the point of accusing Ryoma? We would simply argue back and forth when none of us have any concrete proof."

...

The tapping stopped.

The way Rantaro was staring at Kiyo, he feared that breathing too loudly would make him the next victim.

The others seemed to feel the exact same level of discomfort.

_Shuichi wanted to be anywhere but here._

The only thing that kept the courtroom not in complete and utter silence was the faint ticking of the clock's gears.

He drew a shaky breath, waiting for one of the two suspects to just talk.

"... So that's how it is." Rantaro closed his eyes.

"You two refuse to talk. And now we cannot make a decision to vote."

His voice gained back its calm. But that wasn't the usual calm Shuichi greatly missed. His voice carried a certain heaviness. It felt like he was seconds away from lashing out at the two in the most violent way possible.

"What exactly do you wish to accomplish? Nothing will make the outcome of this trial any different. The blackened will be executed by Monokuma and we will all desperately try to move on despite the continuous deaths of our friends. You two are only delaying the inevitable."

His monotonous tone sent chills down Shuichi's spine. And he wasn't even the one Rantaro was talking to.

"Is it perhaps that you two were accomplices in the matter?" he slightly tilted his head to the side. "Did you two cooperate to make this murder happen, knowing damn well only one of you will be able to escape?"

Kirumi took a silent deep breath. "Rantaro, let's think ra-"

"I'm sorry, did I ask for your opinion?"

She perked up, clearly not expecting this passive-aggressive reaction.

"This is a matter between those two traitors and me. So if all of you could be quiet right now, that would be nice."

Shuichi did the right thing by not talking, then.

The others not in the trio glanced at each other. What could they even do?

"As I was saying..." the medic turned back to the small man. "Are you two admitting being accomplices, then?"

Ryoma kept staring at him for a moment.

"... If that's how you want to put it. Then sure."

"Stop playing with us and talk."

"Do you listen to yourself for a second? What do you-"

"I want this trial to be fucking _over_ already, is it that hard to understand, or do I have to repeat myself over and over again?"

"Rantaro, look at our situation for a minute. Do you seriously think I'm messing with you for fun?"

"Our situation is a fucking class trial where we could all die if we make the wrong choice! Is it your wish to get us executed?!"

"I suggest you take a step back for one-"

"A STEP BACK ON WHAT??"

Rantaro extended his arms. "Look at ourselves for one fucking second, Ryoma! We're all dying one by one in this miserable hellhole, and all you're thinking about is messing up this godforsaken trial! What is there to understand??"

"Rantaro-"

_"I trusted you!!"_

Those words echoed through the silent courtroom. Shuichi could feel himself shiver at the sudden yell.

"... I trusted you Ryoma. I really did."

Even though it was faint, Shuichi could hear a slight shaking in his voice.

The voice of betrayal.

He didn't get it, Ryoma and Rantaro were close but... That much? It was already rare to see him like this, but what sort of bond did they have for Rantaro to react in such a way?

The courtroom fell silent.

Ryoma was still looking at his friend from the other side. The violinist swore he saw him flinch at the medic's words.

"... I wish things were different. But for now, I have a duty to accomplish."

"Don't 'duty' me Ryoma. A traitor is a traitor. You betrayed me. And you betrayed each and every one of us."

Shuichi saw Kiyo taking a deep breath.

"Rantaro, that's enough."

He didn't even bother turning to him.

"Shut up. This isn't about you."

The therapist strengthened his grip on the podium. "This _is_ about me as well. Yes, right now we are working together. So if what you want is answers on the blackened, then ask the both of us."

Rantaro blinked a few times. "Answers...? Blackened...?"

He started laughing nervously. A laugh that reminded Shuichi a bit too much of the previous trial.

"Ha... Hahahahahaha..."

The others could only watch in horror the green-eyed boy giggle to himself, for once his gaze turned to the ground.

"You know what?"

"I don't care who the blackened is anymore."

He raised his head to face Ryoma.

"I just want answers from _him_."

Ryoma slightly narrowed his eyes.

"If your intentions are solely for me to speak the truth, then you have lost your way. This isn't like you."

"I could say the same. Does this group mean nothing to you?"

He paused for a moment.

"... They do. And I've chosen who I'm fighting for. What about you, Rantaro?"

The medic stared at him.

_"Who are you fighting for?"_

There was a long pause.

"... You of all people don't get to ask me this question."

He put a hand on his heart. "I dedicated my entire existence to save people. To save _my_ people. To save my friends. And the very moment Monokuma decided to put us through this killing game..."

_"... I started dedicating my entire existence to all of you."_

Shuichi didn't know if it was the calmness in his voice, the fact that those words felt natural for him to say or the deafening silence in the room, but he felt shivers hearing the last sentence.

He had heard more than enough times about his will to put an end to the killing game no matter the cost, but this time it felt... different.

"So you haven't strayed away from your purpose."

"And you, on the other hand, did." Rantaro replied. "So tell me."

"Why the treachery? Who are you fighting for who is worth more than our lives and more than the honor you swore to yourself as well?"

The weapons maker fell silent once again.

"... Fine then. Which is it?"

Rantaro raised a finger.

"Korekiyo convinced you his cause was worth more than our lives and you are willing to get all of us killed."

Then another.

"You planned this murder for a greater reason and betrayed each and every sermon you swore to me- to _us_."

And another.

"You two actually planned all of this together to escape and thus making both of you the blackened."

Ryoma remained steady. The two soldiers were staring at each other in complete silence.

Just the ticking of the clock.

And after what felt like an eternity, Shuichi opened his mouth to say something. He couldn't stand this tension anymore. But...

"WHY DON'T YOU JUST FUCKING SAY SOMETHING ALREADY??"

"You've been silent for who knows how long, just say something!! I've been trying over and over and over to understand your intentions, why you are doing this, why you two are so stubborn about this whole case, but I've had enough!! What the fuck do you two want??"

Shuichi's heart skipped a beat, the slow realization settling in.

This... Wasn't Rantaro.

This wasn't the person who tried to help them get together. Who helped them organize themselves by groups with the motive videos. Who took care of the ill ones during the despair disease motive. Nor tried to get them to stay strong during this motive.

The person right in front of them was not Rantaro.

Now that he was thinking about it, he had seen this person once.

It was the same person holding a scalpel onto his throat back in the warehouse.

The eyes, the expression, the tone of his voice...

Was this who Rantaro truly was?

At this thought, Shuichi started feeling sick to his stomach.

The fact that Ryoma was as stoic as ever over the situation felt less horrifying, somehow.

The smaller man quickly glanced on his left.

"... Did you ever wonder why there was a clock in this courtroom?"

"Don't change the subject. Answer my question already."

"Monokuma introduced it to us when we started this trial. It was never here before. But suddenly it appeared. Why is it so?"

The violinist glanced at the giant piece of decoration, gears ticking every second. The two huge, metallic hands remaining steady.

"If you think I'm going to drop my question over a damn clock, then you can stick it."

"Monokuma never does anything randomly, does he?"

Shuichi had thought about this clock but... He never actually guessed its use.

But why bring it now?

"Besides, I noticed something quite strange about it."

The others turned to him.

No one had actually dared to say anything after Kirumi tried to. But their expressions were still the same.

The exact same worry was gnawing at them, fearing for what would happen next.

"Drop this bullshit, Ryoma. What do you want?"

"You see, the bell of the clock rings twice an hour. Once when the hour starts, and once when half an hour passes."

Kirumi frowned. "Your point being?"

"The first bell, the loud one, indicates the start of the hour. That much is not something too complicated to understand."

Shuichi slightly tilted his head to the side. Whatever point Ryoma was trying to make didn't get across.

"The second one, however, rings at 5:30 PM, 6:30 PM and will soon ring at 7:30 PM, is that right?"

This was getting confusing, much like the rest of the trial, actually.

"Y-Yeah, that's what we all have seen from the past three hours!" Kaito wanted to raise his voice but quickly quieted down.

_"Except it doesn't."_

He perked up. "W-What do you mean?"

This time it was bright blue eyes staring at him- which wasn't exactly less intimidating than the other soldier's gaze.

"The clock doesn't ring at half an hour. We assumed it rang at half an hour because we were focused on ourselves."

_"The clock actually rings at half an hour... and 36 seconds."_

Miu frowned. "How do you know that??"

"Try for yourself. It's 7:28 PM. You'll see the hand of the clock and the bell don't act up at the same time."

"And what on Earth is that supposed to mean?" Rantaro spat.

"Who knows?"

Shuichi's eyes were dead set on the clock. If what Ryoma said was true then perhaps they could try to understand the situation.

_Tik._

_Tok._

_Tik._

_Tok._

Suddenly, the hand reached 7:30 PM but...

_... Nothing._

"... What? What is this?" he muttered.

_* B i n g *_

And just as Ryoma said, at 7:30 PM, 36 seconds, the bell rang.

He felt dumb for not noticing sooner.

The clock had always startled them all- he never realized something was wrong with it.

But what did that even mean? What was the point of making this clock ring at this exact moment?

Considering how, according to Ryoma, the clock really did ring at the beginning of the hour then...

... Why the time delay?

Monokuma was silently watching them from above.

He hadn't said anything for a long time. And yet the situation didn't seem to bother him.

"As I was saying..."

Rantaro was back to tapping his fingers on the podium.

"... Do not change the subject."

Miu hesitantly leaned forward. "Rantaro... I know you're upset... We all are but... Perhaps there is something that we have to investigate...?"

...

The medic froze.

"Tell me, Miu..."

"Have you ever watched someone die?"

She raised an eyebrow. "W-What do you mean? We've all witnessed the executions and the dead b-"

"No. Not like that."

"I meant watch someone die knowing damn well you could have done something. Or you could have done better. Just anything."

"Rantaro, I already told you." Kirumi interrupted. As confident as she tried to sound, there was still a hint of remorse in her voice. "There was nothing we could have done for Tsumugi. You don't have to feel guilty about-"

"Nothing we could have done?" he perked up.

"We could, I don't know, have guessed using your lock in the dining hall would have locked the door? We could have found another way to get to Tsumugi's lock when the fire was there? Or maybe go back even when the Monokubs were extinguishing the fire? I could have guided her to the tunnels so the exisal wouldn't get her? I could have tried to save her when she took the shot from the exisal? There is so much we could have done, Kirumi."

_"There is so much_ I _could have done."_

It was faint, but Shuichi could hear his voice cracking.

He saw Ryoma looking away for a moment.

This trial was just a painful experience. The previous trial was already what he thought was the worst experience of his life, but this... Wasn't any better. Not in the slightest.

"Ha... Hahahahahaha..."

"It's the same over and over again."

"I thought the killing game would somehow be an escape to that feeling but..."

"I can't escape it. I never will."

"I've watched people die, ally or enemy, I've done autopsies, I've seen liters of blood gush out of someone and yet nothing will ever come close to this feeling."

"The feeling of a heartbeat stopping."

"I have felt it over and over, and over, and over again."

"The feeling of someone's life ending when you could have tried to help. When you could have done better. When you could have saved this person's life."

"But didn't."

"And once again, just when I'm supposed to do my job as a medic..."

"I failed her."

"I failed my mission. And I failed as a soldier."

"I failed in every aspect there is."

Shuichi couldn't see well but...

Were those tears in his eyes?

Arms crossed on the podium and head low, the green-haired teen started giggling to himself again. It was nothing like Kokichi last trial. It was an empty, quiet, and shaky laugh.

He glanced at the others- who didn't know what to do either.

Ryoma was looking at Rantaro with pity. It was almost unnoticeable, but definitely here.

Kiyo was looking away from him, allowing Shuichi to see a part of his face.

It was the most disturbed he had ever seen the therapist be.

And yet the two were accomplices in the matter. One of the two -if not the two-, orchestrated this entire scheme and organized a class trial.

"... Rantaro."

The weapons maker spoke up.

"You are right on one thing. It's that I will probably never understand that feeling you're describing. And I cannot tell you how you should feel."

"But there is one thing that I know about you, it's that you never gave up on trying to save us all. You always did what you judged was right. And you always _excelled_ at it. You always took risks and volunteered to do the most painful and risky tasks."

"You always have been of huge help. And I don't think anyone here would disagree."

"You didn't fail us in any way."

Rantaro clenched his fists.

"What are those words even worth?"

He slightly raised his head, just enough for him to stare at Ryoma, but not enough for them to see his face.

"You are standing here as a traitor. Whatever your role in this whole fiasco is, it doesn't change anything."

Ryoma closed his eyes. "... And I'm sorry for it. But I mean what I said."

The medic stared at him for what felt like an eternity before standing back up. With a swift movement of the thumb, he swept away a tear from his red eyes, still keeping eye contact with the weapons maker.

"You should know how I feel about treachery by now."

"I do."

Rantaro stayed silent.

"Don't think I'm going to give up on this case simply because of your words. And if it means taking you down, then so be it."

"Very well then." Ryoma replied. "Do your worst."

...

After a long silence, Kokichi hesitantly raised a hand. "I've... been thinking about this clock and... I honestly don't know how to feel about it."

At least they were back on the subject. Shuichi exhaled a breath he didn't know was holding. Perhaps it was because the tension broke a little- even just slightly.

Kaito glanced at the decoration. "I was trying to think and... It's not consistent to have an alarm set at 0 seconds and one at 36 seconds. It's definitely something intentional."

Shuichi had realized the inconsistency but he never thought about why.

Miu pondered. "Perhaps... The alarms have different purposes?"

Another purpose? That would make sense, but what?

_Think!_

...

"I was thinking..." he started. "When did the trial start exactly?"

"4:30 PM." Rantaro bluntly replied, only sending him a quick glance. "3 hours ago."

Now that he thought about it, they didn't hear the clock ringing when they placed themselves near their podiums.

Did it have anything to do with it?

Or maybe...

"Miu, you said they had different purposes, so what if... The loud bell is simply here to indicate the time, and the second alarm is here as a timer?"

"A timer?" Kokichi tilted his head to the side. "Why would we need a timer for a trial?"

Shuichi glanced at the two suspects, both as silent as one could be.

"I don't know but... I feel like we should keep that in mind."

Kirumi pondered for a moment.

"... Is this clock the reason you two have been acting so... strange?"

The two suspects turned to her. And yet their expressions were as stoic as ever.

"After all, all you've been doing is staying silent for the past hour or so. Does it have anything to do with-"

_"Ahem!"_

The robotic bear interrupted the mercenary.

"I've been watching you whining and arguing for well enough time... You guys are here to investigate on miss Shirogane's tragic death..."

Rantaro slightly flinched at those words.

"... Not to babble about my glamorous decoration!"

Kirumi glared at him for a moment.

"And what the hell are we supposed to talk about, then?" Rantaro coldly asked.

The bear groaned. "You guys are not very smart, aren't you? I just told you to investigate the victim's death! That's what the class trial is for!"

"Pretty suspicious you're telling us that just as we talk about the clock, huh?" Kaito narrowed his eyes at him.

"The headmaster's orders are ab-so-lute! Now shoo! Get back to your investigation. This is getting boring!"

Kirumi slowly turned back to the others. It was clear she didn't buy any of this.

And neither did anyone else.

But Kiyo and Ryoma were still not talking.

"... Looks like we're going to have to figure it out by ourselves from what we know." Rantaro broke the silence. He opened his mouth to say something else but-

**_* B O N G *_ **

The clock acted before him.

8:00 PM.

Shuichi was starting to get even more worried about the clock's use.

And the fact that Monokuma didn't want them to talk about that was definitely suspicious.

"... Anyway." Rantaro turned back to the others. "I stand my point."

"I'll bring justice to Tsumugi no matter what. She was one of us and she deserves it."

_"There is one traitor among you two, and I_ will _find out who that is."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took way longer than expected because 1. Surprise, college and 2. This chapter was very hard to plan and to write. I think you can understand why.
> 
> ... Yeah.
> 
> \--
> 
> By the way, I'm happy some of you answered the poll! I can't say I'm surprised Miu and Kokichi are on the top, along with Himiko in 3rd place (+ Rantaro 4th place and Kiyo 5th place, for those who are curious). Thanks a lot for participating! I might host a new one at the very end of this fic, tho.


	35. Chapter 4: Dance, dance, hanged puppets - Deadly life (part 6)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> None of the suspects refuse to talk, and this is really getting on Rantaro's nerves... But what is up with that clock anyway?

...

After a short silence, Shuichi took a deep breath.

"Perhaps... We should make a quick sum up of what happened?"

Kirumi nodded. "From my understanding, the blackened sabotaged the building at nighttime, messed with the traps, and made sure we couldn't get here. During the morning, they went along with us as we tried to find a way to enter the main building. When Tsumugi finally started making her way to her lock, Ryoma and Kiyo were in the main building as well. One of them activated the fire by connecting cables, but we do not know who."

Kaito shrugged. "Perhaps there are some things we missed?"

The violinist thought back at what they found in the building. It's not like they could use alibis, because both refuse to talk. He was starting to fully understand Rantaro's frustration but now was not the time.

Something they hadn't talk about yet...

"Hey, Kirumi... Do you remember the dried blood on the second floor?"

"I do, yes. Do you think this could be a clue?"

Miu frowned. "You two found dried blood?"

Shuichi nodded. "Yeah, according to Kirumi it had been here for at least a few hours before we got here."

Kokichi pondered. "But we didn't have access to the building this morning..."

"Which means it was before this morning, then!" Kaito exclaimed.

The two suspects remained silent.

"Hold on..." Miu leaned forward. "Kirumi, you had your shoulder injured at some point, right? Is it from there?"

She shook her head. "The incident was on the third floor, not the second. Rantaro can testify to that."

"Yup." the medic confirmed. "Besides, the injury was caused by a spear shot from a wall. There was no blood on the floor. It was only on the wall."

If it wasn't Kirumi, then what?

"Um..." Kokichi hesitantly raised a hand. "Maybe the blackened got themselves injured while preparing the traps last night?"

That sounded like a solid theory.

"Which means the culprit has an injury, then!" Miu exclaimed.

Rantaro put his elbows on the podium, head on his hands. "Considering Kirumi got a spear shot from a wall and no blood was on the floor, then we can assume the trap injured a lower part of his body. Most likely below the waist."

Then they just had to check-

Shuichi turned to Ryoma, who was adjusting his socks to cover his legs as much as possible.

As for Kiyo, his pants were covering his entire legs, so it was useless to try and check.

He didn't miss the glare Rantaro sent Ryoma.

"... Still not willing to help us, then."

The weapons maker stood back up. "Nope."

Did they have even something else to base their theories on?

It looked like they were out of clues.

He glanced at the others, still trying to figure out what happened.

The clock was still ticking. The noise was making Shuichi more and more nervous by the second.

They didn't know what the clock meant. Nor why the two were so stubborn. It felt... odd.

Perhaps they should think about something else? If the concrete evidence was missing, they would have to use their instinct.

~~That's what got them through the second trial, after all.~~

_Not now._

"Maybe we should go back on this morning's events? I don't know how we can find any other solution otherwise..." he suggested.

"Agreed." Rantaro immediately replied. "Not like we got any other choice at this point."

Everything started when Rantaro and Ryoma went to the main entrance.

"Rantaro, was Ryoma acting strange when you two went out?" Miu asked.

He thought for a moment. "He was behaving normally, from what I had experienced. I did open the door because I was closer to it at the time. He didn't show any strange behavior when I did. We simply rushed out of the way, as normal people would."

Could this be a proof he was... innocent?

It was way too soon to give a proper judgment. Perhaps they should continue.

The others nodded and agreed it was indeed too soon to vote.

"Next was the dining hall, right?" Kokichi asked. "It was Kiyo and Kirumi in there..."

Kirumi tapped her finger on her arm. "Ryoma had suggested we go to the dining hall, but I do not think it has anything to do with the case. It was our only possible access at the time."

Kaito pondered. "Ryoma did insist on going there himself, though."

"And Kiyo insisted on the fact that he shouldn't go." Rantaro added. "Which doesn't help us."

"I did insist on going here. From my riddle, I knew there was a chance I could activate my lock." Kirumi continued.

Shuichi frowned. "But Kiyo insisted on going with you..."

The medic eyed the taller man. "Would it be to make sure his plan was going fine?"

The therapist didn't answer.

"... I don't even know why I asked." he spat.

Both insisted on going. Ryoma had backed down, but does it really prove Kiyo is the culprit?

They both tried to think about every single time the two had even said a word since this was all they could get out of them.

Both were acting normally, from what he can remember.

"Kiyo was the one suggesting we all get the locks before trying to get to the main building, right?" Kokichi noted.

Rantaro narrowed his eyes. "I do remember, yes. We may have all agreed at the time but I can see why this looks strange, now."

Once again, Kiyo didn't reply.

"Hey... Rantaro, Shuichi..." Miu turned to the two. "You two were with Ryoma and Kiyo when we went our own separate ways to get our locks, right?"

Rantaro nodded. "I was with Ryoma. Yes."

He pondered for a moment. "However his attitude was still the same as ever the entire time."

His eyes were kept on the weapons maker, trying to decipher even the slightest bit of emotion on his face. Kiyo was a master at reading people, so perhaps he could have done something if it wasn't for the fact that the two were working together.

_Disgustingly ironic._

"What about you, Shuichi? Did you find something strange about Kiyo?" Kaito asked.

"Well..." He started thinking. "He did suggest how we should proceed but... Nothing about that seemed to have impacted the case. He recommended a path that would help us not waste time, though."

... Although that would be natural for him -culprit or not- to suggest the quickest solution. So that didn't mean anything.

He perked up. "But... Now that I think about it... When I mentioned the possibility that the pattern of the traps changed, he quickly dismissed it by mentioning the main door but... That probably doesn't mean anything either."

Rantaro glanced at his left. "I see."

His voice carried the same heaviness from before. The only difference was the fact that he composed himself enough to continue the investigation. But it was clear he was still affected by what happened.

Kiyo, much like Ryoma, was still silent.

"But... In the death road of despair I..." Shuichi continued. "... Nevermind. That's probably not important."

"Every single piece of information could be important. Even if it takes slightly more time, we need all the details." the mercenary advised.

He hesitated for a moment.

"... When I went down the ladder, Kiyo had told me he would be here just in case but... When I activated the lock, when the floor collapsed and when I came back up he was away... Even though he told me he would be right here." He nervously chuckled. "It's stupid, I know..."

There was a silence that made him even more uncomfortable. He knew it was stupid. He knew his hunch was just out of cowardliness. He was just-

"But still... Kiyo, the therapist who always offered his help, not being directly here..." Miu looked at the ground. "... It doesn't feel right."

Why was he even away? He had seen him approach the manhole from the back of the 'room'. What was he even doing?

...

Was he checking something? A part of his plan? There was no other possible solution, right?

_Right??_

"From what I'm seeing, there is more evidence of Kiyo being the culprit than Ryoma." Rantaro bluntly said.

And yet that evidence felt flawed. There was nothing concrete. Only assumptions.

"Do you think it is enough to proceed to the vote?" Kirumi asked.

The medic narrowed his eyes. "... It's not like we have that much evidence. So-"

_"One minute."_

Kiyo raised his hand, speaking for the first time in a while.

"Are you really willing to gamble your lives on such a bet? I know the situation is desperate, but this isn't like you guys."

"Who are you to talk? Do you have something to hide?" Rantaro glared at him.

"You are willing to put your lives at risk on assumptions, and no concrete evidence. I am simply saying it would be dangerous for you."

Why speaking now? What was Kiyo trying to achieve?

"He is right, though." Ryoma added. "Without any concrete evidence that he did it and not me, there is still 1/2 chances you vote wrong. Or more accurately..."

_"2/3 chances you vote wrong. Either I am the blackened, he is the blackened, or we are both the blackeneds."_

Shuichi's heart skipped a beat. He was right. 1/2 chances to make them all die was already a lot, but 2/3 chances was way too much.

What kind of evidence did they even have?

Shuichi thought back at all the evidence he had collected until now. He went to Kaito's lab, near the love hotel, in the dining hall, explored the main building and Rantaro's lab. Surely there was something he missed.

...

Hold on. A concrete piece of evidence... That's it!

"I'm not letting you guys bet your lives like that."

His attitude was strange. Way too strange. But with that, he perhaps can prove them all who the real culprit is.

He had to convince them. He can do it!

[ _Argument armament start!_ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll8ElUkIXBY)

"All of you are willing

to bet your lives

on assumptions!"

"You all seem to

have lost your minds."

"Without any kind of concrete evidence..."

_"You are simply marching to your deaths!"_

"You are all assuming

I did it because

of my 'attitude'..."

"When Ryoma could simply

have been an excellent actor!"

_"We both could have done the deed, not only me!"_

"You are dismissing way

too many parts in this!"

"We are accomplices,

we might as well

have worked together

for this!"

_"There is no concrete evidence Ryoma never participated in this plan!"_

**_Used welder in Kaito's lab_**

"The welder in Kaito's lab!" he exclaimed. "Ryoma is an expert in engineering, right?"

Kaito's eyes widened. "You mean-"

He nodded. "If Ryoma really participated in the plan..."

_"... He would have replaced that part of the welder you mentioned back then. But that wasn't the case."_

Rantaro looked at the weapons maker. "Which means whoever did this was not a pro when it comes to mechanics."

"So Ryoma never actually participated in the plan, then..." Kokichi muttered.

...

They had it. The final piece of evidence.

He noticed Kiyo was eyeing the clock a lot. 8:20 PM.

They still hadn't figure out everything about this trial but... They had their culprit. And that's all that mattered.

"Perhaps... We should recap the entire case." he suggested.

_[-Closing argument-](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYdImXwmee8) _

_The culprit started putting their plan in place yesterday, during nighttime._

_Their goal was to make sure Tsumugi would not access any of her locks and thus get her executed due to the motive's rules. In other words, making sure she wouldn't be able to reach her lock before 3 PM._

_They explored the entire main building to see which locks were available from here. I'm not sure if Tsumugi was supposed to be the victim or if she was simply unlucky to be the one with both locks here._

_They started by cutting an enormous amount of wires in the main building, using the wire cutters from Kaito's lab._

_They used the trap quota to their advantage. If they restrained the traps, then a lot of them would activate at once if they activated just one, like a chain reaction._

_However, the culprit made a slight mistake when messing with the traps. They must have accidentally activated one, injured themselves in the process, and left a bloodstain on the ground of the second floor._

_But that didn't make them give up. They were already way too far in their plan to stop._

_They then proceeded to lock all the entrances to the main building._

_To lock the dining hall, they used a crowbar from Kaito's lab to check which cables were linked to Kirumi's lock, because they couldn't enter the room due to the nighttime rule._

_By cutting the right ones, they knew activating the lock in the dining hall would result in the door being locked, and making us unable to get to the rest of the building._

_Then, they took care of the window at the pool area, since it was also a way to enter the building._

_They couldn't do much to it, so they used the welder from Kaito's lab to fuse together two parts of the main structure, making it impossible to open. The only solution we had was to break the glass._

_Ironically, that welder was the proof of the identity of our culprit, since they didn't know they had to replace certain parts._

_To get to the window, they used the stepladder in the library. It was heavy, but not impossible to move._

_They then trapped the first room in which Tsumugi would go to get her lock: Rantaro's lab on the third floor._

_The culprit cut all types of cables in there and added gasoline- which was from Kaito's lab too, I suppose._

_That was made as a plan B, in case we managed to get to the main building._

_The culprit, wanting to put all chances on their side, also made sure nothing could be used as a way to get to the window._

_Which is why they checked Gonta's lab. It did have a wooden ladder in here, so they took saws from Angie's lab to cut it into pieces and hide them in one of the barrels in front of Kaito's lab. Because surely, we wouldn't try to search through them._

_The next and final step of their plan they had to do in the main building was to trap the main entrance._

_Since they couldn't trap it using a lock, they had to proceed differently._

_Instead, they put two cables on the ground and created a puddle of water._

_One cable was in the water, and the other was dry and waiting for the door to push it in the water. The water would allow the current to pass between both cables and thus activating a lot of traps at once._

_They then left the main building, having no other business here._

_However, they went back to the pool area to use the same type of trick in the storage room. That way we would have even less equipment to use to help us get to the window._

_They didn't need to use water due to the door having only one way to open it. They simply placed the cables to make sure they would connect once someone opens it._

_Their plan was finally put in place, and they could go back to sleep as if nothing happened._

_The next morning, today, we all went to get our locks, not aware the entire academy had been sabotaged._

_First, Rantaro and Ryoma went to the main entrance. But just as Rantaro opened the door..._

_... The first trap activated. The cables behind the door connected, and the saturation of traps created an explosion due to too many of them activating at once, completely destroying the main entrance. We lost our first way to get to the main building._

_Then, the culprit and Kirumi went to the dining hall to check if the entrance was okay for us to use. The culprit insisted to go with Kirumi to make sure their plan worked._

_And it did. Once Kirumi passed her card, the lock activated another good amount of traps and thus locked this door. And that's how we lost our second way to access the main building._

_The culprit acted as if they found the situation strange, although knowing full well what had happened._

_The last way we had to enter the main building was by using the window in the pool area._

_The culprit suggested we get our locks first just in case because they didn't want us accessing the main building. That was also a way for us to waste time._

_There wasn't much to do at this point, so they went along with us as if they didn't know what was happening._

_I was with them at the time, and I didn't notice anything strange..._

_When we got to the pool area, we checked the storage room to see if something could help us. However, just as Kirumi opened the door, the cable trap activated and ruined our chances to use anything that was here._

_After she had managed to still get to the window thanks to the deckchairs, we realized we couldn't open it._

_We then got on our search for tools to get us all in the main building. However, due to the huge amount of traps activated, it took Kirumi, Rantaro, Kaito, and Ryoma an insane amount of time to get back, which was exactly what the culprit wanted._

_Once they got back, we managed to create a way to the main building, and Tsumugi was finally able to reach her lock. However, this was not over in the slightest._

_The culprit had a plan B to make sure Tsumugi wouldn't get her lock._

_They, along with Ryoma, went inside to help us find another easier way to get to the building._

_But that was a ruse. They pretended to follow Ryoma for this cause, but that was not the case._

_That was actually to connect the cables and activate the explosion._

_They had installed everything in Rantaro's lab and knew which cables to connect to activate it. I do not know if Ryoma was a witness or not, but in either case, they managed to get this part done._

_After the explosion happened, everyone rushed outside, Ryoma and Rantaro helping Tsumugi get out._

_The culprit knew the monokubs would intervene to extinguish the fire, which would take an insane amount of time. And we were all stuck outside, unable to do anything._

_3 PM arrived, and Tsumugi hadn't been able to get her lock at all. That's when Monokuma came to execute her._

_The culprit had used Monokuma's execution to plan a murder, making them the real blackened, and didn't have to find any sort of alibi for the murder since they did not kill Tsumugi themselves._

_Because their murder weapon was Monokuma._

_And the real blackened..._

_... Is you, Korekiyo Shinguji, the ultimate therapist._

"..."

Everyone fell silent, staring at Kiyo.

"I'm... I'm right, aren't I?" Shuichi hesitantly asked.

"Now hold on a moment."

Ryoma got the attention back to him.

"I could have just not replaced the necessary parts of the welder because I knew it would incriminate me. That doesn't prove anything."

"Ryoma, please shut up." Rantaro spat.

Kiyo was starting to panic even more, that much was obvious by now. "That's right. That's what I meant by 'actor'."

"Still not giving up, aren't you? Just admit it already."

Kiyo slammed his hands on the podium. "I told you I am not-"

_* B i n g *_

The clock rang. Indicating 8:30 PM, and 36 seconds.

Kiyo froze, staring at the clock for a moment.

"..."

"It's... fine. It's over."

He turned to the others. "You are right. I am the one responsible for Tsumugi's death."

Shuichi's eyes widened. Why give up all of a sudden? Did the clock have anything to do with this?

"Kiyo, are you sure about this?" Ryoma looked at him, concerned.

"It's fine. It's not like I can do much by now. I do have to thank you for your help, but everyone knows the truth, now."

_"I am the blackened."_

Rantaro narrowed his eyes. "Prove it to us then."

"Show us the injury from when you messed with the traps."

The therapist nodded.

He put a knee down and pulled his pants up to show his leg. And true to his words, there was a bandage stained by dried blood.

He slightly took it off to show the injury to Rantaro. "... You can guess this is a recent injury."

The medic stared at the leg for a moment.

"... I believe you."

Shuichi could only stare at him with wide eyes.

Kiyo, the therapist who always volunteered to help them psychologically handle their issues, was the one responsible for Tsumugi's death.

He couldn't believe it.

The others were looking at him in both shock and confusion. This sudden change of attitude was... Not normal.

He had spent the last 4 hours defending himself and making sure no one discovers the truth, Ryoma helping him prove his innocence, and now, he gives up without complaining?

Ryoma looked unsure. Surprised even. Like he didn't even expect him to radically change his position.

What exactly was his role in the trial? If Kiyo planned all of this alone, why was Ryoma even helping him now?

He tried to think.

...

"Let's get this over with." the therapist muttered. "Monokuma, you can start the vote."

Shuichi perked up. He slammed his hands on the podium. "Wait, hold on-"

"One can do!~ It's... Voting time!" The bear cheered.

He panicked. Somehow it felt wrong to vote. But he didn't have a choice. The others seemed to feel the same- except Rantaro, who didn't hesitate.

He clicked on Kiyo's icon.

“Now then, it seems the voting has finished. Let’s see the result.”

The screen turned on, letting them see everyone's icons.

8 votes for Korekiyo Shinguji.

“Who’ll be chosen as the blackened? Will you make the right choice or the dreadfully wrong one!?” Monokuma exclaimed.

**VERDICT**

The wheel turned for a few seconds before slowing down… And landing on Korekiyo.

The coin machine let out its amount of monocoins and its distinct jingle.

"Well, look at that! You voted correctly! Congratulations, you guys!"

Korekiyo was looking at the ground, refusing to face anyone.

_"The blackened who killed Tsumugi Shirogane is Korekiyo Shinguji, the Ultimate therapist!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sheesh, that trial was long. But we're finally coming to an end. Congrats to those who guessed right!
> 
> Notes about Kiyo's AA picture:  
> \- The necklace is the symbol of mental health awareness.  
> \- The carpet's pattern is a Rorschach test, often used in psychological analyses.  
> \- The white and black 'spirits' are meant to represent the Superego and the Id from the Freudian psychology, that we often compare to the little angel and devil on our shoulders respectively.  
> \- The mask is pretty much here as a reference to the 'mask' we wear in front of other people.


	36. Chapter 4: Dance, dance, hanged puppets - Deadly life (part 7)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is it. This is over. Kiyo is the culprit. But... Why?

...

The silence in the courtroom was deafening.

Out of all the people here, Kiyo was the one Shuichi expected the less to kill.

And it seems everyone was thinking the same.

Shuichi knew he shouldn't judge on appearances, but... That was still really hard to believe.

"Kiyo..." he muttered. "Why...?"

He took a deep breath. It was clear he felt at least some regret in his actions.

"There's... A lot to explain. Perhaps it should be better to answer one question at a time." he glanced at Shuichi.

They all exchanged looks, aside from the medic, still looking at the void.

"... Was Tsumugi your target, or could I have been the victim had I been unlucky enough?" Kirumi broke the silence.

Kiyo shook his head. "Tsumugi _was_ the one I wanted to outsmart, whether her locks were in the main building or not. I would have found a way if one of them was somewhere else."

Shuichi frowned. "Outsmart?"

The choice of words felt wrong. He was the blackened after all. He was a _killer_ , in some way.

"That's... The second point, actually." he replied. "To be frank..."

_"My intention was never to kill Tsumugi."_

His eyes widened. "What do you-"

"Don't fuck with us." Rantaro approached him, and despite his short stature, grabbed him by the collar and pulled him down to face him.

"You're telling us you prepared all of this bullshit by yourself, not to kill Tsumugi?"

"Rantaro, let him go." Ryoma put a hand on his shoulder but he slapped it away.

"You're in no position to talk, Ryoma. I've been personally dealing with the both of you for the past two hours. You don't get to tell me what I have the right to ask or not."

Shuichi started feeling the same uneasiness from earlier.

"Let him talk, Rantaro. Kiyo doesn't seem to be lying." Kirumi approached them.

The two pairs of green eyes stared at each other, the others wondering which one from the fierce war medic or the cold mercenary would back down first.

"... Fine." Rantaro let go of Kiyo, who readjusted his collar.

"I know this is hard to believe, but I did not intend to kill Tsumugi. I promise. My intention was not even to escape."

Kokichi nervously fiddled with his sleeves. "I'm confused... Why did you prepare all of this then? You knew Tsumugi would get executed, right?"

He stayed silent for a moment. "I know this will sound absurd to you, now that she is gone and that the trial is over but my real goal..."

_"... Was to expose her as the mastermind of this killing game."_

...

...

What?

"You... Y-You can't be serious..." Kaito stuttered.

"Why would Tsumugi be the mastermind??" Miu exclaimed, to which Kiyo flinched a little.

Even Rantaro seemed to be astonished by his words.

"I had my theories. I had observed you all throughout the game. And Tsumugi being the mastermind was the conclusion that seemed the most reasonable to me."

"I spent so much time studying people's reactions. So much time studying _your_ reactions. And even the most stoic of all of you showed signs of genuine regret and disgust."

"All of you... Except for Tsumugi."

Shuichi had noticed the lack of empathy she had shown. Even when looking at Himiko's corpse. Even when Kaito learned he was the one responsible for Keebo's death. Even when Kokichi completely broke down during the third trial. Up until her death, she had shown almost no signs of trust nor empathy towards anyone.

Was she simply that distrustful?

Rantaro stayed silent. He was waiting for him to continue his explanations.

"To be honest, after Angie's death I felt... guilty." he admitted. "I had talked to Angie. I knew she had issues. The anger she held against the people that hurt her, that rage that turned out to be the bloodlust disease... I ignored it. Because I thought she was redeemable. Because I thought I could bring her back to the path of reason. I had every reason to believe she had the disease, and I ignored it."

Kokichi looked at him with wide eyes.

But they were not filled with anger.

"After her death, I dedicated all my time to judge who was the most likely to be the mastermind, to expose them and end this madness."

He held onto the notebook on his side. "I had written all my observations about you all. I had doubts greater on some than others. But overall, Tsumugi was the most likely candidate to me."

"So your solution was to stay silent about it and act on your own?" Rantaro raised an eyebrow, his monotonous voice sending chills.

Kiyo looked down. "I grew... desperate. I realized long ago the mastermind was not someone we could resonate with. When Monokuma announced the motive, I knew this was my chance."

_"I had a way to expose her as the mastermind without killing her."_

Shuichi frowned. "What do you mean?"

"My reasoning was that if I made her break a rule, Monokuma would have to come to execute her. But if she was the mastermind, he wouldn't do anything to her. He would find an excuse or just anything like he always does, but he wouldn't kill her."

The violinist's eyes widened. That was actually solid reasoning... If Tsumugi was the mastermind.

"So I prepared everything. I put everything in place to make her break the rule of the motive. And it worked. However..."

He paused.

"... When Monokuma came in with the exisal, I realized my mistake. I realized I had targeted the wrong person. And I realized she would die even though she was innocent. And all of this by my fault."

Shuichi looked away.

"There were several reasons why I didn't decide to simply kill her. Most are obvious but I feel like I should add that... Rantaro, you were right on one point."

He raised an eyebrow. "On what, exactly?"

"I didn't know I would become the blackened for this. Since Monokuma was adamant about the rules, I thought he would count this as an execution. Not a murder."

Kirumi raised a hand. "Hold on, you didn't know?"

"Do you really think I would ask Monokuma if preparing a plan to expose the mastermind would backfire and make me the blackened?"

...

Silence.

"... As I said earlier, my goal was not to escape. I still wanted to help you guys in case the plan went wrong. I don't have a better reason to escape than any of you. And as a therapist, my role was to help you with this."

Miu, Kaito, and Shuichi exchanged glances. They had seen his motive video- about his sister who had gone borderline insane. A sister he really cared about and yet... That never convinced him to kill one of them.

"In that case..." Miu nervously fiddled with her overall. "Why... didn't you say anything?"

He looked away. "I... I wanted to."

Shuichi frowned. "But... You couldn't? Why?"

"Someone..." he slightly turned to Monokuma. "... forbade me from doing so."

"I knew it."

Everyone turned to Ryoma.

"I knew something was off. I knew there was a reason behind all this."

Kaito frowned. "What do you mean? I thought you two were accomplices! Did you two not work on this together??"

The weapons maker shook his head. "I thought we already established that. I never helped Kiyo commit the murder. I only helped him during the trial."

Shuichi thought back at Kiyo's words.

_"Yes, right now we are working together. So if what you want is answers on the blackened, then ask the both of us."_

He specified 'right now'. He didn't think much of it back then but... Why?

"Then why did you help him?" Rantaro glared at him. "If you knew he couldn't admit his crime, why didn't you say it yourself and instead made this trial continue for that long?"

The smaller man cracked his knuckles. "I could have told you the truth. But there is one thing that bothered me in all of this."

He turned to Monokuma and pointed his finger at him.

...

No.

He wasn't pointing his finger at the bear. He was pointing right above him. Right _behind_ him.

_The clock._

"... This. Was the problem."

They had been talking about this for a long time, and they still didn't have an answer.

"I figured out pretty quickly that Kiyo was the culprit actually. I didn't witness him connecting the cables, but the moment we established the culprit had messed with the building, I knew it was him who started the fire." He explained.

"However I knew there must have been a reason why he didn't say anything. And that's when I noticed he was checking the clock a lot. So I did as well."

"I realized the clock had a function related to him. Then you put two and two together, you check when the quieter alarm rings, and you get the full mystery uncovered."

_"The clock was not a simple piece of decoration. It was a timer Kiyo had to keep track of. He couldn't admit his crime, and had to make this trial last for as long as humanly possible."_

"Did I get it right?"

...

There was a long silence.

How did he uncover those things so fast??

Kiyo looked down. "... Yes."

"Actually, I could have directly admitted my crime whenever I desired, but..."

He sighed.

"... I don't even know what I can or cannot say about this."

Did this have anything to do with Monokuma still?

"Puhuhuhu... Then perhaps indeed, it will be better if *I* explain!" the bear exclaimed.

Eyes turned on him, he grinned.

"You see, I knew Mr eyepatch would immediately admit his crime to you all. Such a noble soul... However, how boring would that be! I could not let such an interesting class trial go to waste!"

"So I only made a simple deal with him. I didn't force him to do anything! He was free of choice after all! The only requirement was to last at least an hour."

Those words made Shuichi wince.

He only cared about those trials.

Even if it meant blackmailing the culprit themselves.

"And if he somehow didn't manage to make the trial last for less than an hour..."

_"... Let's just say I would have made this motive stay, along with the next motive at the same time!"_

"I still sense bullshit." Rantaro spat. "If your only requirement was to last for an hour, why didn't you say it after the first alarm?"

The therapist stayed silent. "... I wish I could tell you everything that deal included. I really do."

... So there was more to this.

But what?

Kiyo was condemned to silence.

He would have to take this secret to the grave.

"I was thinking back about the ladder and stuff..." Kaito frowned. "Why did you leave the rope?"

"I didn't."

Shuichi perked up. "Huh?"

"I did hide the ropes in the barrels. I didn't leave anything in Gonta's lab, I know it."

"Then who put it back?" Miu waved a hand.

The therapist turned to the bear. "... You did, didn't you?"

"Puhuhu... Such accusations!" Monokuma laughed. "But yes, I did think it would spice up the day~"

He doesn't even know if this was a good thing or not.

But Monokuma still messed with them, although it didn't have anything to do with a crime scene.

_They could never catch a break._

"But... Ryoma..." Kokichi muttered. "If you were not Kiyo's accomplice... That means you didn't want us to vote wrong, then?"

He saw Rantaro slightly perking up.

"... No. I would have ratted out Kiyo if Monokuma started the vote out of the blue."

Kiyo let out a sigh of relief. "... I'm glad you didn't fully take my side, even though I am more than grateful for your help during this trial."

He looked at him. "Whatever your motive may have been I wouldn't have changed my goals."

"I've chosen who I'm fighting for, after all."

Did he mean... them?

He discretely glanced at Rantaro- the one he had said that to earlier.

_He was unreadable._

The medic had thought he had betrayed him but... That was never the case, was it?

Everything Ryoma said during the trial, all the times he went silent...

They all thought the two were accomplices, one offering his life for the other, but...

Ryoma simply had one step ahead from everyone else.

He was way smarter than Shuichi gave him credit for.

The group was surrounded by silence once again.

"Rantaro."

The therapist looked at the green-haired boy, who didn't seem to react.

"I know I am not in the right to say this and I don't deserve your forgiveness but... I'm sorry."

"I never intended this trial to go the way it did."

_Perhaps it was a little late to say that._

Rantaro didn't move. He kept staring at the void, not a single hint of emotion on his face.

"What I fail to understand..." he finally looked at him again. "... Is how you managed to come to the conclusion that Tsumugi was the mastermind just because she didn't express any emotions."

"I will admit that by growing desperate, I made decisions way too quickly. This is something I take full responsibility for."

He lifted his head up. "But that was not the only thing that made me think that was the case."

Shuichi raised an eyebrow. "And... What did?"

"Her actions made me think she was hiding a lot more than she let know, and I figured out it was far from impossible for her to be the mastermind. But you see, I also studied the motive carefully. Or more accurately..."

_"The locks' placements."_

What did it have to do with anything?

"Everyone followed approximately the same pattern, even though we never communicated explicitly the spots where all the locks were."

"Tsumugi, however, didn't follow the pattern."

A pattern?

"Everyone, most of the time, had one lock in the main building, and one somewhere else, whether it was outside or in one of the other labs."

_"But Tsumugi's locks were always in the main building."_

He thought back at the last few days.

...

_"One should be in my lab. The other in the library."_

_-_

_"Both of my locks are inside." Tsumugi declared. "I understand the need to get your locks, but I will have to get mine as well."_

_..._

He didn't know where the locks on the second day were, but it indeed felt strange.

What did that mean?

"I figured something was off. But since I thought she was the mastermind, it made sense to me."

_"It made sense that the mastermind would put their locks close to each other. The traps could target them as well, so putting them close to the dormitories would make them take fewer risks."_

That... Actually made sense.

But why would the locks be somewhere she could easily access? What would the mastermind gain from this?

Rantaro stared at him for a moment.

"What I understand from your story..."

_"... Is that whoever is in charge of this shitshow played you like a marionette."_

Shuichi's eyes widened.

"What do you mean?"

He quickly regretted saying that as he felt the powerful green gaze on him.

"Kiyo had doubts about Tsumugi. The mastermind knew. He grew desperate to end this game. The mastermind knew as well. They put on the perfect scene for Kiyo to act the way he wants and strengthening his doubts about her." He looked back at the therapist. "All I'm saying is that the mastermind played with your emotions and used you to kill off Tsumugi."

"Which is exactly what she meant by her last words."

_"I knew the mastermind was coming for me anyway."_

...

Of course the mastermind wouldn't act directly.

Of course they wouldn't orchestrate the plan themselves.

Of course they would use one of them to execute their plan.

_How easy had they played them?_

The others looked at Rantaro in awe. He was unreadable as he said those words.

"That's hard to swallow, but that's the truth."

Kiyo's eye widened. "I..."

...

Silence.

"... Ironic, isn't it? I should have seen that coming and yet I didn't."

Shuichi winced. If the mastermind managed to manipulate the ultimate therapist of all people that easily, what did they even mean to them?

Where they nothing but dolls for them to manipulate as they please?

This trial only proved their ability to ray someone off the list without any consequences for them.

That feeling made his skin crawl.

...

Now that he thought about it, Tsumugi was probably not their only target.

After all, Kiyo was the ultimate therapist. He knew how to deal with others' issues and how to read people.

_Eliminating the therapist and the prodigy in one go was the perfect plan for the mastermind._

_And none of them saw it coming._

He felt sick just thinking about it.

Did that mean the mastermind judged him not useful enough to be killed off...?

He should be happy but couldn't bring himself to be even remotely glad he would not become their killing tool that soon.

Hard to pin down and hard to manipulate into killing- whoever their target was, they were able to use them for their own entertainment, and how it suited them.

_They had no control over anything in this game, hadn't they?_

Kiyo took a deep breath. Even if he wasn't showing it, it was clear that every single cell in his body regretted doing this.

From the plan, to the trial to just everything.

"... I am not asking any of you to forgive me, but I wish to tell you one thing."

They turned to him, all visibly upset and worried.

"You are strong. If this motive proved one thing to me, it's that you all are very strong. You have shown to be willing to change for the best, to move on and face this atrocious game head-on."

"Even those I considered weaker when I first met them have been getting stronger and stronger by the day."

"You have shown to be capable of relying on others, even if the circumstances are not the best."

"I know you can end this game. There is still a lot you have to learn, but there is so much you can do now. Do not think any of you haven't changed, because I gradually noticed your efforts."

He glanced at Kokichi and Kaito. "Most of you have made the first step, which is the most difficult task."

Then Miu. "I've seen you caring for each other like your own family, and this is something I find truly admire."

Then Rantaro, Ryoma and Kirumi. "Conversely, do not think you have to show strength all the time. Even if you consider yourself to be the one having to protect others, do not think you are not allowed to depend on them."

And finally... Shuichi. "And whatever happens, you are not in any way, shape, or form 'not enough'. As long as you balance caring about your own well being with those of others, I know you can surpass this."

He arbored an empty smile. "I have been letting this game get to me more than I thought I would." His smile dropped. "And Tsumugi has paid the price. It's a crime I shall never be forgiven for and that I will never apologize enough for."

A silence.

"... But perhaps I can still help you with this."

He took out his notebook, approaching the violinist.

"Shuichi, you are the one I trust the most. Those are all the observations I gathered about everyone. Those are not classified information, and share them with the others if you wish to. I trust you with your decision."

He handed him the notebook. Shuichi took it carefully, gently touching the cover.

"Thank you. I'll take good care of it."

Miu stepped forward. "Kiyo..."

She paused.

"I still have trouble believing you did this. But what I do know is that you helped me a lot after... the incident. I'm grateful you gave me a second chance and offered me ways to change. I've been feeling better these past few days and it's thanks to you."

Kokichi nodded. "I didn't have the chance to talk to you a lot, but... I appreciate what you did to help us... And I... I do not hate you for not realizing Angie had the despair disease back then. It's not something you could have prevented after all... I do wish things were different but I know better than to hate you for this."

Shuichi looked up to him. "I should also thank you for everything you did for me. I'm... I'm really glad I got to meet you, Kiyo."

There was a silence Kiyo looked at them, dumbfounded.

"... Thank you. I am glad I got to meet you all as well."

Even though he tried to smile, he looked nervous and sorry.

After all, everyone knew what was coming.

He turned to the bear.

"Monokuma, I am ready."

Shuichi felt his heart skip a beat. "No-"

"Well then, let's give it everything we've got! It's... PUNISHMENT TIIIME!"

He turned back to them.

"Thank you... for everything."

Monokuma pressed the button with the hammer.

**GAME OVER**

Korekiyo has been found guilty.

Time for the punishment!

[ **_(BGM)_ ** ](https://youtu.be/AzOfqDU-ouw)

When Korekiyo opened his eye, he looked around to see that he was standing in an empty place where all the walls, the ceiling, and the ground were painted white.

He only had the time to look around once before he saw a knife being shot at him out of nowhere- the knife barely missing its target.

He looked around to see several holes in the walls ready to shoot more at him.

A noise was heard from behind him, and when he turned around, he saw a door opening, leaving access to an empty white corridor.

The only eventual chance of surviving was by running here.

**White blade, scarlet fate**   
**Ultimate therapist Korekiyo Shinguji's execution: Executed**

He sprinted across the white hallway, multiple knives shot at him from the walls. He couldn't see where he was running as he hit the wall- and receiving a knife in the leg as well, blood sprinkling on the white wall.

Because of the lighting, it was hard to distinguish what was a wall and what was free space.

But he kept running and running, getting more knives cutting him spreading more blood on the walls and floor.

He doesn't know for how long he had been running before...

_*shtack*_

A knife was shot from the wall, piercing his left eye- his remaining eye.

He screamed in agony, getting the knife off.

But he was still alive.

He ran as fast as a blind man could, a hand in front of him to make sure he didn't run into a wall.

He kept running as more and more knives cut him from all sides.

Running, not knowing if he could even get out.

Running, knowing full well what his fate would be.

But he refused to give up, even if he became the target of ten, twenty, fifty knives, he wouldn't give up. He would continue, a hand on his left eye, feeling the warm blood flow down his cheek.

But as knives lodged themselves onto him -although he could only feel the pain of his wounds and the blood escape his body-, he felt more and more exhausted.

And before he knew it, he slowed down, letting more and more knives cutting him, until he finally dropped on the floor.

Something he hadn't realized because of his blindness was how the walls were painted.

He may have run for what felt like hours, but the walls surrounding him were still the same, becoming more and more tainted of pink each time he passed around them.

He ran blindly, not realizing the corridors were forming a loop, leaving him no chance to escape.

_Korekiyo Shinguji, the ultimate therapist, was dead._

Shuichi kept staring at the screen, his hands on his mouth.

Kokichi and Ryoma were looking away.

Kaito and Miu kept staring at the screen with shock- much like him.

Kirumi was less emotional, but he could see her uneasiness.

As for Rantaro... He was still staring at the screen emotionlessly.

Ever since Ryoma was revealed not to have betrayed him, he was unreadable.

...

They had lost yet another friend.

He didn't even know what to think anymore.

Was there a mastermind?

Was there not?

Was someone among them simply the best actor one could ever be?

He didn't know.

They were not more advanced than before.

Were they even going somewhere?

He snapped out of his thoughts when Rantaro turned around to leave without a word.

"Rantaro. We need to talk for a sec." Ryoma looked at him.

He stopped in his tracks.

"..."

"There is nothing to say, Ryoma."

"You accomplished your job perfectly. You're not the one in the wrong here."

A long silence.

"... I'm sorry."

Shuichi could only barely hear him as he continued making his way to the elevator alone. He doesn't even know if Ryoma or anyone else heard him.

The others stared at him, unable to say a word.

What happened earlier... They couldn't get it out of their heads.

The desperate yells from Rantaro, the way he reacted to everything, the way he acted like a completely different person...

There was a lot Rantaro wasn't telling them.

Perhaps even more than they could ever imagine.

He had listened to Kiyo earlier but... Was he really going to follow his advice?

He didn't know.

He didn't know anything.

"I... think we should go back to our rooms..." Miu suggested, looking down.

He nodded.

But as they took the elevator, Shuichi remembered something.

He took out the notebook Tsumugi gave him before her death.

Something about it bothered him- something that was written on one of the last pages.

The others stepped out of the elevator. It was dark outside, but Shuichi could still read the pages.

"Hey, this might be an odd request, but can I ask you guys something?"

Ryoma broke the uncomfortable silence, yet he was not facing anyone.

"W-What is it?" Kokichi asked.

"... Don't get mad at Rantaro for what happened in the trial."

Shuichi perked up.

"Huh?"

"Look." He turned to them. "He... Probably has a lot on his mind right now. Getting mad at him isn't going to do any good."

"I get ya but..." Kaito replied. "He kinda snapped at you, y'know? Shouldn't _you_ be upset?"

The weapons maker looked down for a moment. "You're right. But I don't blame him."

How could Ryoma stay so calm?

"His moral codes are very strict, especially towards himself. And treachery is the biggest disgrace a soldier could ever do. So I don't blame him for snapping at me back then."

Soldier this, soldier that...

What kind of lives were those two living back before the game?

"R-Right..." Miu muttered. "But still... I'm worried about him."

Shuichi looked away. No matter how much Ryoma told them not to blame him, he had been cautious of Rantaro for a while now.

Ever since...

He couldn't even think about _it_ without getting chills again.

_Those bright green eyes staring deep into his soul, a cold blade under his throat, and a forceful hand pushing back his chin as he was pinned to the ground._

He shook his head to try and forget the thought.

"Let's just get back to the dorms. We all need rest." Kirumi broke the silence. "We'll think more rationally tomorrow."

He nodded. They started walking back in silence.

Shuichi took back the notebook to read the last few pages.

His eyes scanned the words despite the darkness.

...

...

"Huh?"

He stopped in his tracks to make sure he read the part just right.

The others stopped as well.

"What's up? Is that... Tsumugi's notebook?" Kaito asked.

"I need... I need to make sure I didn't misunderstand anything..."

His eyes scanned the last lines again.

...

H-How?

"Come on! Don't leave us in the dark! What's in there?" Miu exclaimed.

...

He did read that right.

Why? What was the point of all this?

"It's... Did she..." he stuttered.

"What is written in it?" Kirumi asked.

He paused for a second.

"It's... Tsumugi's last entry in the notebook..."

Ryoma narrowed his eyes. "What did she find out?"

Shuichi looked back at the notebook.

"It's... About _Keebo_."

Kaito frowned. "What do you mean?"

Finding the right words was hard.

"Perhaps... I should read this part in its entirety."

-

_Day 15._

_This is wrong. This is so wrong. This doesn't make any sense. Or does it? I don't know anymore._

_By investigating this I should have known the risks. I should have known my life was in danger the second I started doing this._

_I've been investigating Keebo's death for days now._

_Everything looked strange. This wasn't a normal death. We had far from enough clues to guess what happened for him to die. And yet Monokuma insisted that we investigate this. And with the little we had, it's impossible to reach a satisfying conclusion. And I'm pretty sure Monokuma wanted this._

_So after the trial, I've spent my days studying robotics to try and understand what exactly went wrong. I've read those books over and over, I've been trying to hide my studies, but to be honest, I think they're getting suspicious of me. Which means I have to pretend I trust them for now. I can't reveal this. Not until I get to know more about what is going on._

_And with everything I've gathered, I know more. I don't know everything, I don't have the truth, but it's a lot more than what we had in the trial._

_Kaito's maintenance might have done something to him, but I don't know. The maintenance was not about his program. After all, Kaito is a biker, and he might not be as smart as Rantaro nor I, but he has enough common sense not to touch parts he doesn't know about. And besides, I don't think there was even a way to touch his program. The computer room has never been used, so I doubt anyone had the opportunity to do anything._

_The flashback lights modified his program but they don't have anything to do with the physical body. Those parts are not connected in the slightest. Which means you can sabotage one, and yet the other will still be intact. And if the flashback lights didn't do anything physical, that means they don't have anything to do with his death._

_In other words..._

[ _... Kaito's maintenance didn't kill Keebo. Kaito was never the blackened of this case in the first place._ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTTUbby58zQ)

_Monokuma lied to us. He gave us a fake judgment. He should not have hesitated one second to tell us we're wrong. But if he did pretend that Kaito's maintenance killed Keebo, then something or someone else related to him did._

_Someone sabotaged Keebo and killed him by using means we don't have access to._

_And that someone is probably the mastermind themselves._

_I know they are coming for me at this point. I know I will probably not survive much longer._

_So if anyone finds this journal, or if I give this to anyone, this is my last request._

_Investigate Keebo's death._

_That's how you are going to find out the truth._

_-_

"What???" Kaito yelled. "I was... I was innocent the whole time??"

"Hold on, let me see this shit!" Miu approached Shuichi to read the notebook. "No way..."

"The mastermind? But... Why would they kill Keebo?" Kokichi asked.

"Monokuma rendered a fake judgment. There is no doubt about it." Kirumi crossed her arms. "Which means he was ready to execute Kaito if Himiko wasn't the first victim."

Kaito turned to her. "I could have died thinking I was the culprit??"

Ryoma approached Shuichi as well to look at the notebook. "... There's no doubt about it now. Kaito was innocent. And we were right to think a small maintenance mistake couldn't have killed Keebo."

"But I don't get it!" Kokichi exclaimed. "I thought Monokuma wanted us to find the truth about Keebo's death!"

Kirumi frowned. "He must have wanted us to reach this fake conclusion so the mastermind could get away with it. At the very least Kaito was not executed for a crime he didn't commit."

"We're talking about my life here! I could have died!"

Miu looked at him. "You dodged a serious bullet here..."

Shuichi looked back at the words written in the notebook.

"This... Is why the mastermind wanted to kill off Tsumugi?"

Ryoma looked down. "I think so. She knew way too much, and since they knew Kiyo doubted her, they used him to kill her so she wouldn't reveal the truth."

This was... So wrong.

But he was glad they found out.

At least that would lift a weight off Kaito's shoulders.

To know he actually wasn't the cause of someone's death.

They had a lot to talk about.

Tsumugi was right. They had to investigate Keebo's death.

The game had lasted for far too long.

But now, they had hope. Hope to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

They could do it.

_They could end this killing game._

\--

_"..."_

_"I am never doing this type of shit ever again."_

_"This whole motive was a mistake."_

_"At least Tsumugi and Korekiyo are out of the way, now."_

_"..."_

_"But hey, I still got what I wanted."_

_"7 done, 0 left."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> F in the chat for absolutely everyone, boys
> 
> Chapter 4 is finally over! And I'm really proud of how it turned out, even if this was extremely long.  
> Also bet you didn't see that coming huh


	37. Chapter 5: An oath to one's lost humanity - Daily life (part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trial ended with Korekiyo's execution, even though his only goal was to expose Tsumugi as the mastermind. However other problems are adding up: Kaito was never Keebo's killer in the first place.

...

...

_"Who..."_

_..._

_"Who am I...?"_

...

\--

Day 17 since the beginning of the game.

4:40 AM.

Shuichi stared at the ceiling of his room, laying on his bed.

He almost hasn't slept at all.

Each time he tried to close his eyes, each time he tried to sleep, it was a different vision haunting his mind.

The first was back at the warehouse. Then Himiko's corpse. Then the exisal blasting Tsumugi. Then the warehouse again. Then Korekiyo's execution.

Now he was afraid to even close his eyes.

The ceiling was perhaps the most comforting vision he had in hours.

...

He looked at the clock in his room.

_At least this one didn't make any sound._

He bitterly chuckled at the thought. Every single insignificant thing was starting to haunt him in some way as this game went on and on.

The violinist sat up, his head spinning from the tiredness.

But he still had to gain back enough energy for the day. They were going to explore the new labs, the new places, and more importantly, they had to investigate Keebo's death.

... But perhaps he could take a walk outside. He would not be able to close his eyes even if he tried to. Not now, at least.

After a long shower, he got dressed up. However, he didn't feel like putting on his vest and tie. Just the shirt and pants would be enough.

Looking at the window, he could see the first rays of sunlight illuminating the sky.

At least that was better than walking in the dark of the night.

Shuichi gently pushed the door of his room. The dormitories were silent. Surprisingly, the food, the medical supplies, and the cutlery they had brought disappeared. Monokuma must have brought them back.

At least they wouldn't have to do it themselves.

Speaking of the motive, he hadn't seen the sanzu key in his room either. At least that meant the motive was truly over.

~~Although he would have preferred Monokuma not to go in his room for this.~~

He quietly got out of the building and closed the door.

It felt nice to walk without worrying about being impaled by a spear nor having to run for his life.

Shuichi took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh breeze.

But after he took the first few steps, his eyes landed on the wisterias.

Something was on the pergola. Or rather, someone.

Upon closer inspection, he realized Kirumi was sitting on top of the structure.

... Perhaps she had trouble sleeping as well. Maybe he could try to talk to her.

He approached the place, and the mercenary turned around to look at him.

"Oh. You're awake as well."

Shuichi blinked. "How... did you get up there?"

She huffed, although she didn't look mad. "You underestimate me, Shuichi. I am a mercenary. I can easily climb this."

If she was in her normal outfit, then sure, but... She was clearly in her pajamas -simple grey shorts, a loose white top, and a black chest band- and bare feet.

"... Do you want me to help you get up?" she asked him.

He glanced away. "That looks high, though..."

She pointed at a small tree next to one of the pillars. "If you climb this, I'll be able to reach you."

"No, it's just..."

He was afraid of heights. But perhaps he could try to surpass this fear.

Even though Kiyo had told him that no matter what, he was not useless nor not enough, he could still try.

He approached the tree to climb it. It wasn't that hard, actually. When he managed to get to the highest point possible, Kirumi extended her hand.

After he managed to grab it, she helped him get on the wooden planks.

Even though it wasn't the most comfortable here, it was still a nice view.

Kirumi sat back on one of the planks. "There's more than enough space. I don't think this structure is going to break that easily."

The two made themselves as comfortable as they could.

He noticed she had eyebags -smaller than his, but still here anyway-, but more importantly, he noticed the white patch on her shoulder.

_He forgot about her injury._

"Wait- your shoulder! Was it okay for you to help me?"

She waved a hand. "It's fine. The wound healed enough not to be dangerous for me anymore."

...

The sun was slowly rising. Perhaps this wasn't as bad as he expected it to be.

[ _(BGM)_ ](https://youtu.be/0t3XHAxeTPE)

The two stared at the horizon for a while, in silence.

It was relaxing, in some way. Definitely more than staying in his room in the dark, haunted by the visions of the killing game.

At least, he wasn't alone right now. He had Kirumi at his side.

...

"How long have you been here anyway?" Shuichi broke the silence.

She hummed. "I would say 30 minutes."

About the same time he decided to get out of bed, then.

"Aren't you cold?"

"Not that much. It doesn't bother me."

He was bad at small talk, wasn't he?

But perhaps silence was great too.

...

"How are you holding up? It is unusual for you to be up this early." she asked.

He perked up. "I... I couldn't sleep. I kept getting nightmares. What about you?"

She stayed silent for a moment. "... I just had trouble sleeping. I don't get nightmares, but when I get in those types of situations, where anyone could potentially harm me, I tend to stay on guard. It's more of a natural reaction for me at this point."

He nodded.

"You say you keep getting nightmares. Is there something on your mind?" she slightly turned to him.

It was odd for her to say that. But then again, she did tell him he should talk to people if he had worries back after the third trial.

The deaths were still lingering on his mind but something else was making him more uncomfortable.

Or rather, someone.

"This... isn't worth the trouble, don't worry."

She looked at him, a hint of regret on her face. "... I am not Kiyo, I am no therapist and I probably am the last person here to ask for advice but... If you get nightmares from this, perhaps it would be better to talk about it with someone."

Shuichi pondered.

Kirumi was a mercenary. She had experience in killing and was used to dangerous situations. Even though she claims not to be the best person to talk to, perhaps she would be, considering the situation.

"It's... About Rantaro."

He didn't know if to talk about the incident in the warehouse would be a good idea but he had kept the secret for too long. And with his attitude getting stranger and stranger, his worry could only grow.

"About the trial?"

He shook his head. "No, it's something that happened before."

She raised an eyebrow.

"I think it was two days ago, the day we learned about Kaito's leg. We were in the same group for the afternoon locks, I got mine alone since you went back to the dorms because of your injury. I wanted to help Ryoma by getting some tools to help."

She slightly tilted her head to the side. "Didn't you say they were all organized in boxes and you didn't want to disturb it?"

_Shit. He forgot about that part._

He hadn't checked anything because of the message on the ground and Rantaro going to get it.

Perhaps he should keep this part to himself.

"Oh, it's just... I thought that by the time I went back, Ryoma or Rantaro would be here..." he lied.

Kirumi paused for a moment. "I see."

"Well... When I went back to the warehouse, I saw Rantaro rummaging through one of the boxes, and when I approached him to ask what I could take, he..."

Shuichi trailed off, the memory of the moment very clear in his mind.

He approached his hand to his neck. "He... He pinned me to the ground without a warning and almost sliced my throat with a scalpel."

She looked at him with wide eyes. "... I wanted to say I was surprised but somehow... I'm not. Not after the last trial."

He looked at her. "Really?"

She paused. "Considering what he probably went through during his missions, I am not surprised. We tend to forget it because he makes it look like it doesn't affect him but I doubt that is really the case."

Shuichi thought about everything that happened the day before. How mad he was at Ryoma, and how mad he was at himself for failing Tsumugi.

Even when they stepped into his lab during the investigation.

The feeling of guilt on his face was stronger than he ever saw him feel- if he didn't count the trial.

"The more I think about it, the more I'm starting to see the big picture."

The violinist turned to her.

"In some way, we can consider this killing game a war, Rantaro said so himself. And thus he started acting like it was his duty to save each and every one of us like we were crewmates."

"He probably thought this would be easier than his usual missions, but it turned out not to be the case."

"By seeing us die one by one, I have a feeling he started to think he was failing us. And that probably weighs a lot on his mind."

She narrowed her eyes. "But that much? It feels odd. I don't think anyone would react that strongly without having experienced something similar in the past."

Shuichi thought about the notebook Korekiyo had given him. Perhaps he could try to see if he talked to him about it.

"But of course that doesn't excuse what he almost did to you. Has he apologized?"

He nodded. "Briefly... But we never spoke of this again."

She hummed. "... I see. While I admit I am starting to get worried about him, perhaps we should let Ryoma talk to him first."

Even though that moment still flashed in his mind... Deep down he felt the same. His attitude in the trial clearly proved something was wrong, and he didn't want to demonize him before hearing the full story.

Was he even going to hear it?

... He should change the subject. The more he thought about this, the bigger the headache got.

"Hey, Kirumi..."

She slightly turned to him.

"What do you think of... You know... Keebo's death?"

She pondered for a moment. "I was about to say that Monokuma giving the wrong judgment was odd but... Is it?"

They all said Monokuma was adamant about the rules but the more they went through those trials, the less it was the case. He was pretty sure the only reason Kiyo was the blackened was so he could have a trial to watch.

And he didn't hesitate to render a wrong judgment and declared Kaito guilty.

What were even the rules of this game?

It didn't feel like an organized killing game.

But a chaotic massacre he cheated at every single instance.

He sighed. "I'm just glad Kaito wasn't executed..."

She stayed silent for a moment. "We should wait until everyone is in a proper mental and physical state to investigate. If the culprit is whoever keeps up trapped here, we can't afford any mistakes."

Shuichi nodded. He himself needed some good rest.

_A rest he couldn't get even if he tried._

He hoped things would not be too disastrous today. He did not have the energy nor the will to deal with Monokuma.

Kirumi stood up. "I'll go to Rantaro's lab to search for a replacement for my bandage. This one is getting old and I do not wish to disturb Rantaro for this."

Shuichi looked down. How will he even get off?

He observed Kirumi walking on the wooden planks to reach for the tree and climbed down like it was nothing.

"Do you need some help?"

He carefully approached the same tree she used. "I'll... try..."

He took a deep breath and started climbing down.

The tree wasn't that stable but he somehow managed to get down.

He brushed the dust off his pants. "I'm good."

She smiled. "Let's go, then."

"W-Wait..."

He blinked. "Are you really planning to go bare feet?"

She looked down, almost as if she forgot she wasn't wearing any shoes. "I'll be fine."

"At least put some slippers on!"

Seeing the look on his face, Kirumi sighed. "If you insist."

The two went back to the dorms, Shuichi waiting outside. A few minutes later, the mercenary came back with a pair of plain black slippers.

"Satisfied?"

"Yes."

The two made their way to the main building. It felt nice to walk around carefreely, although the circumstances were not the best.

But the moment they stepped foot inside the building, they saw _it_.

On the ground was the red monokub, his head smashed to pieces.

... This was not what Shuichi wanted to see right now.

"Boohoo! My sweet... What was his name, again?" a robotic voice appeared from behind.

The two glared at him, not saying anything. The tired eyes told a lot more than they needed to say.

"Still not warming up to them, aren't ya? Show some empathy!"

Kirumi continued her way, not bothering to look at him. "I'll show empathy when you stop making us kill each other for your own entertainment."

Shuichi followed her, not wanting any more business with Monokuma. 

"How rude!" he yelled, then tapped his cheek. "Perhaps I should add a rule that it should be mandatory to grieve for my sweet monokubs..."

However, Shuichi wasn't listening anymore. He simply made his way to the stairs.

Once they were on the second floor, Kirumi sighed. "I can't stand this bear anymore. Good thing I don't have a weapon on me right now."

"Agreed."

They made their way to the third floor, approaching the medic's lab. They noticed the door was slightly open.

They quickly glanced at each other. Considering the state it was in yesterday, Monokuma probably had to repair it but shouldn't he leave the door closed?

The two hesitantly went in. Shuichi's eyes immediately widened.

Even though the lab was back to the state it was in before yesterday, someone definitely went in here.

There were several shattered bottles on the floor, liquid staining the ground and pills scattered around. There was also an empty broken plastic cup on the table near the sink. But what made him shiver were the few specks of dried blood on the floor.

It was like someone rushed in here to take what they wanted without bothering to clean.

Kirumi put a knee down to take a look at the bottles and the pills. "... Those are painkillers. It's written on the etiquette." she started regrouping them.

Shuichi approached the sink. The cup was one of those single-use white plastic ones you could easily break by slamming them on a table.

But considering its state, it was safe to say the person smashed it with their hand alone.

"... What happened here?" he muttered with a shaky voice.

She shook her head. "I don't know, Shuichi. I really don't."

She stood back up, a worrying amount of pills in her hand and an empty bottle in the other.

Her eyes turned to the faint bloodstain on the ground.

"I feel like whoever went in there clearly doesn't fear-"

She abruptly stopped.

Shuichi blinked, seeing her expression growing more worried by the second.

She looked around one more time.

"Is something wrong?"

"I was about to say that whoever went in this lab clearly doesn't fear Rantaro but... We cannot exclude the possibility Rantaro went in there himself."

The violinist perked up. "You think Rantaro did this??"

"I don't know, I just said we shouldn't exclude the possibility."

The two looked around the messy room. "... This is something we're going to keep to ourselves for now if we want answers."

They started cleaning up the room in silence. It's not like they had much to do after all.

Cleaning up a medical lab at 5:30 in the morning was not something Shuichi ever expected to do.

It felt both relaxing and very unsettling. They didn't know who went in here, desperately looking for painkillers, also leaving blood on the floor and they were here cleaning up the mess.

_At least it was better than having nightmares_ , Shuichi thought.

...

Once they were done, Shuichi let out a sigh. "How are we even going to investigate this?"

She pondered for a moment. "For now let's just wait for everyone to wake up."

Kirumi took the bandage she was supposed to get, gave one last look at the now clean room, and left with Shuichi.

The walk back to the dorms was silent for some time.

"... What do you plan on doing, now?"

Shuichi looked at his Monopad. 6:00 AM. The sun was still slowly rising in the distance. "I don't know. I don't feel like going back to sleep. Perhaps I'll play some violin in my lab."

As if on cue, the door of the dormitories opened before they could reach for the handle. And out came... Kaito?

He looked as tired as them. But what surprised Shuichi was the absence of his belt-chain and the lack of hair gel. He instead left his hair into a low ponytail.

They stared at each other for a moment.

"So... You guys are awake too?"

"For about two hours for me." Kirumi replied.

"I would say an hour and a half..." Shuichi muttered.

There was an uncomfortable silence between them.

"Wait, were you guys planning to go back to sleep?" the biker went out of the way to let them pass. "Shit, sorry."

The mercenary waved a hand. "I was mostly planning to take a shower. I don't think I'll be able to go back to sleep at this point."

"Me neither..."

"Oh."

Kirumi entered the dorms building. "... Now that I think about it, there is something I would like to ask you, Kaito."

He raised an eyebrow. "Me?"

"May I try your jacket on for a moment, please?"

He almost jumped. "H-Huh?"

She sighed. "Do not take this the wrong way, please. I just want to check something."

He took it off, a bit unsure, but gave it to Kirumi. She put it on and it fit her surprisingly well. "That'll do."

"Hey, that's my jacket! If you really want it, I can fetch you another considering I got about ten of them in my room!"

"That's what I was planning to ask you, actually."

"What?"

She took off the jacket. "You see, everyone knows my real talent at this point. Dressing up as a maid isn't going to help me much. Which is why I wanted to wear something a bit more comfortable."

Oh.

"But isn't there a rule we have to wear uniforms or something?" Kaito asked.

"I already checked. It isn't mandatory."

Shuichi had been wearing the same uniform since the beginning. Perhaps he could try to change it a little as well.

... And even if Monokuma wanted them to wear their uniforms properly, it would feel good to mildly inconvenience him.

"So... Should I fetch one of my jackets for you?"

"Do you have other colors or are they all the same?"

He thought for a moment. "I think I have dark purple and black. You wanna check?"

She shrugged. "If it doesn't bother you."

The three headed to the biker's room. "Just give me a sec-"

He entered the room and closed the door behind him. A few minutes later he reopened it. "Sorry, I tried to at least clean up a little."

"It's fine. Trust me, I've seen worse."

Kaito's room was a bit messy and it was easy to tell he hastily tried to make it look nicer. But that's the thought that counts.

He opened the closet to reveal a bunch of the same jacket in several hues from purple to black.

He gave a black one to Kirumi, who put it on. "It has its charm. Do you mind if I borrow it?"

The biker waved a hand. "It's just a jacket, don't sweat it. Besides I wear the purple ones, not the black ones."

She smiled. "Thank you. I'll make sure not to ruin it."

They left the room and Kirumi started heading back to hers, jacket in hand. "What are you two planning to do?"

Shuichi shrugged. "I did say I would play the violin but since Kaito's there too then perhaps we'll do something else."

He thought for a moment. "Card games? We can take one and go to the tables in front of the dining hall."

That sounded nicer than whatever he had planned. "Sure! You'll join us later, right?"

She nodded. "Alright."

The two boys left the dorms, heading to the main building.

Considering how Kaito took painkillers for his phantom pains, perhaps he was the one who went to Rantaro's lab last night.

He could try to subtly ask him.

"How is your leg? You did mention having phantom pains, right?"

He shrugged. "I did have my usual dose this morning. But I can't exactly predict when I'll be limping like a freakin' pirate."

... Kaito didn't look like he was lying. Besides, even if he had phantom pains, that didn't explain the blood.

Better luck next time.

After getting the cards, the two headed back outside.

He started shuffling the cards. "Same game as ever?"

Shuichi looked down. "To be honest I'm not exactly in the mood to think..."

The biker thought for a moment. "War it is, then."

The violinist frowned, already not liking the name. "War?"

His friend blinked. "Please tell me you at least know this game."

"Uh..."

Kaito sighed. "Just go along with me. It's pretty simple."

The two played this game for a while. It was mostly luck-based. Put a card in front of you and see which one is the strongest.

At least this brought him back a faint smile.

Between two rounds, Shuichi noticed Kaito staring at him.

"Is something wrong?"

"What were you two even doing outside at 5 in the morning?"

... He really hoped he didn't take this the wrong way.

"I uh... I couldn't sleep and I saw her outside the dorms so I joined her."

He looked skeptical. "Yeah, sure."

Shuichi didn't know what to say. He couldn't win, could he?

The biker scoffed. "Can you believe it? We got a freakin' mercenary in our group. I still have trouble believing that. How many has she killed?"

That was not a question Shuichi wanted to think about. "I don't know... But she never showed any sign of hostility against any of us."

"Yeah, but still..."

It's true that despite her talent, they had included her quite quickly in the group. Was Kaito hinting at the fact that they shouldn't have?

"Do you... have a problem with her?"

"Nah it's just..." he scratched his neck. "How do I put it."

"It feels weird to say we accepted a killer among our group."

He bitterly chuckled. "Not that I've got room to talk. For a while, I thought I had killed Keebo."

Was it the context of the killing game that made them act this way? Surely he wouldn't have approached her if there were more than seven of them.

"But then again... Almost everyone here is guilty of something, huh..."

... Not himself, though. But perhaps that wasn't the best thing to say.

"Perhaps for now... It's for the best." he muttered.

"I guess you're right..." Kaito replied.

They played in silence for some time before the biker perked his head up. "Hm?"

Shuichi looked behind him. Kirumi approached them, Kokichi accompanying her.

She was wearing her usual skirt, boots, necklace, and pair of tights, but instead of her maid uniform, she had put on a white shirt and Kaito's black leather jacket. She almost looked like a biker herself, now.

As for Kokichi, he was wearing the same outfit as usual except for the fact that...

_... He wasn't wearing the hood of his jacket._

He had never seen his full head before. It was always covered by his hoodie. He never actually knew why he covered his face in the first place.

"Oh, Kokichi!"

The boy slightly jumped. "Y-Yeah I... I wanted to try to take it off for once... But if it bothers you I can put it back-"

Kaito shook his head. "No, that's great! It's just rare to see your face in its entirety."

He gripped the base of his hood. "T-Thanks..."

There was still a lot of effort to make, but it was clear he was trying his best.

Shuichi slightly moved to the side to let one of them sit down, and Kaito doing the same.

Kirumi moved next to the violinist, and Kokichi next to the biker.

"What were you two playing?"

Kaito shrugged. "A game of war, but since it's a 2-person game we'll switch to something else, I guess."

Kokichi bitterly chuckled, eyeing him. "You don't like luck-based games with me, don't you?"

He narrowed his eyes at him. "Listen, I just want a _fair_ game. Got it?"

Shuichi giggled, remembering the last time they played cards with him.

"I am not familiar with any card games, unfortunately. What do you suggest?" Kirumi asked.

Kaito pondered, looking at the three. "Kemps is usually by six but it's doable by four."

Kokichi's eyes widened. "You mean the game by teams of two?"

"You got me! Wait, where did you learn that?"

He sighed. "When the only source of entertainment you have in an orphanage is a card deck with three missing cards, you tend to learn every single game you could possibly play."

"Oh... Sorry..."

"That and you learn how to scam people."

...

Shuichi froze. "S-Scamming people?"

He looked at him, unimpressed. "How did you _think_ we managed to get money?"

"I-I don't know! I just didn't know how you did it!"

Kaito laughed. "Come on! Teach-

"No." he interrupted him. "I am not teaching any of you how to do scams. I can do a demonstration, but I am not teaching you how to do illegal things."

Right... The karma could still impact them.

Kirumi snickered. "I want to see if I manage to get the trick."

Kokichi thought for a moment. "It should be fine if it's just a demonstration. But I haven't done this in a long time, though. I'm still going to need an accomplice."

Kirumi raised an eyebrow. "An accomplice, huh?"

He nodded. "We always did this by two."

"I can be the accomplice!" Kaito exclaimed.

Kokichi smiled. "Very well! Give us a moment, alright?"

The two left.

Kokichi was explaining everything to Kaito in the distance when Kirumi tapped Shuichi's shoulder. He turned around.

"I do not think Kokichi's the one who went to Rantaro's lab. I tried to ask him some things before we came here and I do not think that is the case."

He shook his head. "I tried to ask Kaito if he had phantom pains last night and he said no... He didn't look like he was lying."

She hummed. "... So it's either Miu, Ryoma, or Rantaro."

The mercenary eyed him. "Or you if you lied to me."

Shuichi jumped. "I-I didn't, I swear!"

At that moment, she looked behind him. "... We'll talk about that later."

The two other boys came back.

He would have to talk to Kirumi as well.

After all, there is a possibility _she_ lied to him.

... But that didn't make any sense for her to take painkillers, so he gave up on the idea.

Kokichi took the card deck and started shuffling. His movements were precise, it was almost hypnotizing.

He spread the cards and presented them to Kirumi. "Choose five."

The mercenary looked at the cards and did as told.

"Place them in front of you."

He eyed Kaito, who was slightly behind Kirumi. The mercenary continued paying attention to Kokichi.

"Now choose one and look at it."

He closed his eyes, letting her choose.

She thought for a moment, then picked one of them. It was the queen of spades. She placed it back where it was. "Done."

He took back the five cards with a swift hand movement and grouped them. "I may be taking these cards but I don't have a slight clue what any of these are."

He took the rest of the deck and spread it in front of him, glancing at the others. "And even if I managed to get a look at the rest of the deck, there's no way I would guess that quickly which cards are missing." Kirumi noticed he glanced at Kaito a bit too much, side-eyeing him as well.

He grouped back the rest of the deck and placed it aside.

He looked at the cards for a moment.

"From my sharp ears, I heard you took a card that was on my left, so let's take off this one."

"From my gloved hands, I sensed a lack of touch on this one."

"From my blind eyes, I saw that those two were not the chosen ones."

"And from the eyes of the world..." He pointed at the card in the middle. "... I foresaw a queen of spades."

He turned the card around to reveal the one Kirumi chose.

Shuichi's eyes widened. "Woah.."

Kirumi pondered. "We know Kaito is an accomplice, so I'm guessing he signed something to you."

The violinist looked at the biker. "I saw he was eyeing on his left and doing some hand gestures but... I didn't see what it meant."

Kokichi laughed, along with Kaito. "This was always a challenge not to laugh when I was doing this."

Shuichi frowned. "What do you mean? I didn't see anything?"

Kirumi sighed. "And my back was turned to him. My vision is limited."

"Well, you see..." Kokichi grouped back the cards. "Kaito never signed anything to me."

Shuichi perked up. "Huh?"

The biker laughed. "Man, I didn't think your thing would work! Seriously, how did you invent this?"

"Alright, I'll explain the trick." Kokichi said.

"The goal is to make sure the audience thinks you have an accomplice. Someone who makes gestures odd enough to get the attention. And with only half the attention focused on me, I can do a lot more." He explained.

"While you were focused on Kaito, I did have the time to check which card was yours."

Shuichi frowned. "Wait, really? She still had her attention on you though..."

"You're right, I barely had time to check a second time since Kirumi was mainly focused on me. But you're forgetting one thing."

He moved away the hair covering his left eye. "I can see through here. When I asked her to choose a card, I had only one eye closed."

... Was that it? Was it that simple?

Kirumi stared at him for a moment. "... I can't believe I was fooled by a trick that stupid."

Kokichi chuckled. "It's actually more interesting in the long run since most people tried to guess the trick. They tried to position themselves in front of a supposed accomplice, but it never did anything. Because there was never an accomplice in the first place."

That was actually a smart trick. Who knows how many people got scammed like this.

After that, Kaito taught them the game they were supposed to play. It ended up being Kokichi and Shuichi versus the other two.

They played like that for quite some time. Perhaps a part of them wanted them to be kids again. To forget. To free their minds. To live normally.

But all of this got interrupted when the morning announcement played, with Monokuma doing his usual speech.

"I didn't realize we played that long..." Shuichi admitted.

"Perhaps we could finish this game and then prepare breakfast." Kirumi suggested.

The others agreed.

After the final game, they headed to the dining hall. Kirumi started preparing the basics, with the help of the others.

For a moment, only she and Shuichi were in the kitchen. She rummaged through one of the drawers.

"Hm?"

He turned to her. "What is it?"

"Remember, the morning after the third trial, when a knife was missing?"

He frowned. "... Yes?"

"It's back."

He looked at the set of knives, that was indeed full.

For some reason, that felt... reassuring. He didn't know why.

Perhaps it was the thought that it was back without being used that made him relax.

Once the breakfast was ready, the two went back to the dining hall.

They started eating in silence. No one had a real conversation topic, unfortunately. The deaths of their friends were still lingering on their minds.

It was easy to be distracted when they were playing cards, but eating didn't grant them the same luxury.

Shuichi perked up when the door suddenly opened, revealing Miu, looking as tired as the others. "G'morning..."

"Sup."

"Hey..."

"Hello."

"H-Hey..."

She approached them and took a seat, immediately putting her head in her palms, rubbing her eyes. "I feel like I didn't sleep at all."

Kirumi sighed. "I think that is the case for everyone here."

The street artist looked at her for a moment, like lost in thoughts.

"Is everything alright?"

She suddenly stood up, pointing at her. "Where did you get that jacket??"

The mercenary stared at her for a moment, then pointed at Kaito. "He let me borrow one since I didn't feel like putting my whole uniform on."

Her bright blue eyes immediately turned to him.

"... You want one?"

"Absolutely."

He chuckled, getting up from his chair. "Alright, alright. Back to the dorms, it is."

The two left without adding anything.

"I didn't realize Kaito's jackets were that successful." Shuichi broke the silence.

"I'll pass. I like my hoodie." Kokichi said.

"Would you like a black leather jacket, Shuichi?" Kirumi asked him, a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"No thanks, I'm good."

They continued eating until the door opened again, this time revealing Ryoma, who instead of his striped blue and white top, had a plain white shirt.

"It's quiet in here. Not that I'm complaining."

He took a seat.

Shuichi looked at him for a moment. "Did you also decide to wear something else?"

Ryoma glanced at the three others, noticing the changes. "This shirt is more comfortable. Don't have any reason not to put it on."

He leaned back into his chair, a piece of toast in his hand. "So Kirumi got Kaito's jacket, Shuichi stopped wearing his vest and tie and Kokichi stopped with the hood, huh."

"I also saw Kaito dropping the hair gel and Miu wanting a leather jacket on my way here." he added.

Kirumi shrugged. "I don't really know why everyone decided to dress up differently today, but it's their choice. I will probably continue wearing this, though. It feels comfortable enough."

Kokichi gripped his hood. "I said I was going to try not to wear it anymore... I want to feel more open but I'm still nervous about this..."

Shuichi faintly smiled. "If you don't want to take it off right now, don't force yourself to."

"No I'll... I'll try. I want to make an effort for this."

The weapons maker shrugged. "Didn't say it as an insult. Do what you want, I'm in no position to judge."

He smiled. "Thank you, Ryoma."

As for Shuichi, it was mostly because he wasn't in the mood to put on his tie and vest at five in the morning. But now that everyone started changing their outfits, perhaps he could keep his outfit this way.

Shortly after, Kaito and Miu came back, the latter having her overall's straps dropped down and a black leather jacket covering her.

"You!" she pointed at Kokichi. "I didn't even notice you dropped the hood!"

He jumped at the accusation. "I- It's nothing, really..."

She approached him, ruffling his hair. "I'm proud of you, you know that?"

He stuttered, not knowing how to react. "I-I guess? Thank you?"

She laughed. "Don't sweat it. It's the first step!"

Looking at those two made Shuichi smile. It was like Miu adopted him. And that just seeing him make efforts to change was enough to make her happy.

They continued eating, the mood brightened up by Miu.

But something was... amiss.

The violinist looked around the room.

Someone was missing.

And it was none other than Rantaro.

The medic hadn't shown up at all.

Ryoma also seemed to have noticed this, judging by how much he glanced at the door.

"Where is he?" the violinist heard him mutter.

"You... haven't seen Rantaro since the trial?"

The smaller man must have just realized Shuichi heard him talking.

"... I told him about Keebo yesterday. But he refused to talk any further, saying he had 'stuff to think about'."

Right after an emotionally exhausting trial... Does this guy ever take breaks?

"I'm just hoping he managed to calm himself down." Ryoma sighed.

As if on cue, the door opened.

Shuichi felt his heart skip a beat when Rantaro came into view.

If the others looked tired, this was nothing compared to him.

His hair was messy, he had rather huge eyebags and his gaze felt devoid of life.

He looked terrible, to say the least.

The others turned to him, all visibly worried.

He didn't even pay attention to them and started walking towards the kitchen.

_Was he limping?_

The others exchanged concerned glances. Miu stood up and followed him.

Shuichi could barely hear Miu's voice. Rantaro didn't talk, judging by the pitch of the voices. Miu sounded panicked.

Shortly after, he came back to the dining hall with a thermostat, not even glancing at anyone else, simply heading to the door.

"Rantaro, please just-" Miu got back to the room.

The medic stopped, his back turned to the rest of them.

"What... Is going on with you?" her voice cracked.

He stayed silent for a moment. All eyes on him.

"... I'm fine. I'll join you guys later."

Ryoma pushed back his chair and stood up. "Rantaro, please don't go down that path. I'm begging you."

He paused for a moment. "... I. am. fine."

"You're shaking." Kirumi added. "You don't sound nor look fine."

He stared at his empty hand for a moment, clearly shivering like a leaf.

Miu took a step forward. "Ran-

_* S L A M *_

He suddenly punched the wall, startling everyone.

"... I said I'm fine, didn't I? I'll join you guys when we'll have to explore the new places."

He left the room without a word, leaving the others in awe.

Miu was in shock. She looked like she was holding back tears. "What... What happened to him...? I-I can't..."

Ryoma was staring at the now closed door. "... This isn't like him. At all."

Shuichi quietly glanced at Kirumi, who did the same.

They would have to ask him a lot of questions.

"D-Did he tell you anything in the kitchen?" Kokichi hesitantly asked.

The street artist shook her head. "No, he just... He just poured a litter of coffee into a thermostat, added about ten sugar cubes, and left."

She put both of her hands on her mouth. "What... What happened...?"

No one knew. They had never seen him like this.

Yesterday's trial was already hard for him, they all had thought he would get better by the morning, but...

... That was not the case. If anything, he was in an even worse state than before.

The mood had severely dropped.

Shuichi looked back at his toast. He didn't know what to say. What to do. What to think.

The deafening silence was strengthening the heavy atmosphere.

He wanted to puke.

But of course, that was the moment Monokuma and his green monokub chose to pop up.

"Sheesh! What a mood!"

He didn't even have the strength to argue. Even less than when he saw him in the main hallway earlier.

"Get out." Miu spat.

"My! My! That isn't a way to talk to-

_"GET OUT!!"_

She threw a glass at him full force, tears in her eyes, but missed her target.

The sound of broken glass echoed through the room as it exploded on the floor.

"It's your fault everyone is like this! It's your fault everyone is turning crazy! Just fucking get out of my sight already!"

"Oh~ You should know violence against the headmaster is prohi-

_"I don't care anymore!"_

Shuichi's eyes widened.

"I don't care if it's against the rules! I'm sick of you and your bullshit! We've been watching you torment us over, and over, and over again, is that not enough for you??"

"I don't..."

She fell to her knees.

"I don't care anymore, just..."

"... Just get out."

The room fell silent.

Even Monokuma looked like he was thinking his words through.

"... You kids don't even have a sense of humor anymore! I'm not even entertained at this point. Plus, I have better businesses to attend to!"

He left, surprisingly enough.

Monodam, however, kept staring at the girl.

"..."

"HERE-ARE-YOUR-PRIZES. THIS-ONE-IS-THE-LAST-REAL-KEY. AND-THIS-ONE-IS-THE-REAL-LAST-KEY.*"

He put two keys on the table. One looked futuristic, one traditional.

Before they could object to anything, the second bear left.

Kaito stood up and approached Miu, gesturing to them that perhaps they should be left alone for now.

_Everyone was on the verge of losing it, whether they were showing it or not._

Shuichi grabbed the keys and the rest of them left the dining hall.

Now it was just Ryoma, Kokichi, Kirumi, and himself.

"Do we... start the investigation?"

Kirumi thought for a moment. "Perhaps it would be for the best."

"Before that, I want to check on Rantaro." Ryoma declared. "There's no way I'm leaving him alone right now."

He nodded. Even if the bare thought of looking at him hurt, they had to, for his sake. As payment for all the times he helped them.

The four started making their way to the third floor, where Rantaro's lab was. According to Ryoma, this was the most plausible place for him to be.

"Stay behind, I don't think the four of us entering will do any good."

They all kept their distance from the lab.

Shuichi heard Ryoma knocking.

After a few seconds, the door opened. He actually hoped to get a grasp on the situation but realized eavesdropping on the conversation would not be possible as Ryoma closed the door behind him.

They could only wait.

Shuichi started examining the keys to distract himself. But every single one of his thoughts was plagued by the current state of the medic.

He was the first person he met in the killing game after stepping out of the locker.

He was the one to help Shuichi calm down at rough times, the one to give advice.

He was the one who gave them the greatest clues during the trials.

He was the one suggesting the best strategies possible to get through the motives.

But the more they went through this killing game, the more his vision of him was tainted by madness.

...

He missed the old Rantaro, if he ever existed. Even if it was just a facade, he missed it.

Shuichi felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Kirumi. Ryoma and Rantaro had joined them and they were ready to go.

"... Are you okay?"

He nodded.

They made their way to the fifth floor, upon Ryoma's request. He had insisted to go there since there was a chance his lab opened.

The walk in the large corridors was silent, their footsteps echoing through the room.

Shuichi glanced at Rantaro. He seemed to have calmed down a bit but the tiredness on his face still showed.

They approached the door, which of course had a lock.

The violinist inspected the keys to see which one looked more appropriate, then handed the traditional key to Ryoma.

"Thanks."

He turned it to unlock the door.

When he pushed it, the lab was finally in view.

It looked like an ancient military warehouse, with an appearance very different from the one of the first floor. This one had giant wooden boxes in some places, and by looking at the ceiling, he noticed several crane hooks hanged up by iron chains.

The light from the bulbs was faint, but still enough for them to see most of the lab. It was even bigger than any other, actually. They started going around to explore, and finally noticed the part in the back, behind the boxes. It had a giant workbench with an important amount of tools.

This was definitely Ryoma's lab.

The two soldiers approached the workbench.

"Think you can do stuff with this?" Rantaro asked.

"Absolutely. I just need the materials, but I'm guessing that's what those boxes are for."

Kirumi approached one of them. However, no opening was visible. "And how are you supposed to open this?"

Ryoma looked around. He approached what seemed to be a control panel. He pressed a button and the machine came to life.

He paused for a moment, then started pressing several other buttons.

Shuichi looked behind him, and from what he understood, the panel controlled the cranes. However, Ryoma didn't look like he wanted to grab something. He positioned the hook next to a box, almost on the floor.

He approached the chain and to Shuichi's surprise, climbed it up with extreme agility. He made his way to the top of a box with relative ease.

Ryoma inspected the box from above, and after some rummaging the violinist couldn't see quite well, he saw him disappearing into the container.

He came back a few seconds after with a bunch of wires.

"Figured it was something like that."

He put them back and climbed down the chain.

"There's a trap above the box to access the materials. I'll have to investigate further but since those boxes are labeled it should be fine."

... The box with the label "DANGER" on it definitely didn't sound safe, though.

What kind of materials was he working with?

Actually, since he was a military engineer, it was quite normal he worked with dangerous materials.

He thought for a moment. "... I'll probably have to fetch Kaito so I can repair his leg properly. I got the proper tools, now."

"Do you want me to bring him here?" Kirumi asked.

"If you guys are fine investigating the rest by yourselves, then sure."

Shuichi glanced at Rantaro, who didn't seem to react at first. "... I'm fine with it."

Ryoma looked at the others for a moment. "Tell him I'll be waiting here."

The group started making their way out.

The walk was silent until Miu and Kaito themselves showed up. The street artist seemed to have calmed down a bit, but she visibly perked up when she saw Rantaro.

Kirumi didn't waste any time. "Ryoma is waiting for you on the fifth floor to repair your leg. The rest of us will explore what's left."

"Oh, his lab opened? Neat!"

Miu tapped him on the shoulder. "I'll see ya later, alright?"

He gave her a thumbs-up as he made his way to the fifth floor.

The others continued climbing down the stairs to the first floor.

"... I need to check something." Rantaro said as he walked through the corridors.

The rest of them glanced at each other for a moment before deciding to follow him.

He had stopped in front of a door in the hallway in the back, decorated with black and white squares.

The door actually opened with a simple pull, unlike every other time they tried to.

They walked through a corridor before their eyes landed on a spiral staircase. Shuichi looked up to see that the top probably reached above the fifth floor.

"... That's going to be a long way." Kirumi sighed.

But they had to.

Climbing up the stairs was a bit exhausting to him, but then realized neither Rantaro, Kirumi nor Kokichi complained.

... Good thing Kaito wasn't there with them.

After what felt like an eternity, they reached the top of the staircase.

Kokichi's eyes widened when he looked at the door in front of him. It was decorated with stars and planets.

_This was Himiko's lab._

He glanced at him for a moment. "Do you... Are you sure you want to go?"

The boy took a deep breath. "... Yes."

Rantaro opened the door.

The lab was quite impressive. There were different machines and desks on the sides, and what looked like a giant telescope in the middle. The lab had an almost magical atmosphere. The black floor had some small white spots emitting light. The walls on the sides looked either grey or white. Shuichi didn't know since it was quite dark in here.

But the most impressive was the dome above. Even if it didn't have any pattern on it, just looking at the metal structure was enough to leave him in awe.

Kokichi approached the telescope. But that's when they realized the footsteps he left emitted a white light for a moment before disappearing. That was actually a really nice touch.

Shuichi tried it for himself. This lab was truly fantastic.

Kirumi went to one side and pressed a button on the wall, which was actually the one turning the lights on.

He realized the walls were indeed white as everything came to view.

This was less impressive this way, but still let them appreciate the room in its entirety.

The mercenary pressed another button, and this time the dome above them slowly opened, revealing the bright blue sky.

Shuichi approached the telescope as well. He didn't have any knowledge of how to use it. No one did, unfortunately.

Looking at the room, he immediately understood why Himiko was so fascinated by astronomy.

_But she wasn't there to enjoy it, unfortunately. She would have loved it for sure._

"Kokichi."

Rantaro's voice called the small boy.

"Do you wish to be alone for now?"

The smaller boy stayed silent for a moment. "... Yes, please."

"I'll join you guys later if you find something else but... I want to stay here for a while."

Kokichi didn't look upset. Just pensive.

Perhaps it was better to leave him be for now.

"Alright, just tell us if something's wrong, okay?" Miu grinned at him.

He looked at her for a moment, then glanced away. "Actually... Can you... stay too, please?"

She blinked a few times, surprised. "Sure, of course!"

The street artist glanced at the other three. Shuichi smiled as he made his way out with the two others.

The young woman closed the door behind her.

Now it was just him, Rantaro, and Kirumi.

"Let's go."

Rantaro didn't waste any time and immediately started climbing down the stairs.

The walk was silent, Shuichi was making sure he didn't trip down.

After reaching the first floor, Kirumi spoke up. "Rantaro, I do not wish to force you to do anything, but Ryoma is right. Going down the path of isolation is not going to help you."

He quickly glanced back at her. "I told you I'm fine, didn't I? Besides now is not the time. We have an academy to explore, we have to find out who killed Keebo, we have to defeat the mastermind, we have to get out of here-

"Calm down for a minute, alright? You're one of us, Rantaro. Not some kind of pawn to use however we like."

"You think I got a goddamn choice?" he stopped, approaching the mercenary, staring at her with his now signature glare. "We've lost way too much time doing nothing. If we continue like this there's gonna be none of us left. You saw how easy it is for the mastermind to manipulate one of us into killing, right? I don't want to take more time and risks. We've been through enough."

"That's not the point, we'll not ever get out if we don't think rationally. For now, there are issues you need to address, and that's coming from _me_."

"You're missing the real problem here." He looked at her dead in the eyes. "I swore to myself that I would get you guys out of here. And if I see one more person dying, I'll never forgive myself for this. So at _least_ let me do the one thing I was supposed to do in this cursed academy."

"If I can't save anyone from this absurd war, then I have no right to call myself a soldier, and I have even less the right to call myself Rantaro Amami, ultimate war medic."

She paused for a moment, the two pairs of green eyes intensely looking at each other.

"Soldier or not, you are no less human than any of us, Rantaro."

"If I'm no soldier, if I can't even accomplish that one damn task, then I'm _nothing_. I have a duty, and if you got a problem with that, you can give me the key so I can look around for myself."

Shuichi's grip on the item strengthened.

The two stared at him. He didn't know what to do. He was frozen in place.

"I-I..."

The words were stuck in his throat.

"L-Let's just look around together like we first planned to...?"

He was bad at this. He cringed at his own reaction.

"Then let's just go."

Rantaro started walking away.

Shuichi felt guilty. But he had no clue what to say.

When he was far enough, Kirumi turned to him. "... I don't know why he started acting like this all of a sudden, but that's not something I'll turn my back to. We'll have to tell Ryoma about this and ask _him_ for explanations."

"... Agreed."

Just when the two started to move, Rantaro went back to get them. "... I thought you two were following me."

"We're coming."

They got out of the building since there was nothing left to see here. Perhaps another one opened?

They went outside and started walking towards the set of stairs.

Shuichi saw Rantaro reaching for something in his inner pockets and put it in the ones on the outside. He took off his jacket and wrapped it around his waist. He also rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt.

He had never noticed it before, but Rantaro did have scars on his arms. They didn't look like clean cuts, more like old serious injuries.

Rantaro didn't seem to care as he continued walking.

He saw Kirumi narrowing her eyes. She was paying close attention to him.

After going down the stairs, Rantaro's eyes landed on the giant grey building on the right.

Maybe that was the one needing to be opened? There was what looked like one of the locks from the previous motive next to it, but different. A blue keyhole symbol was cut on it. Maybe that's where the second key belonged.

The moment he put the key, the building made a strange noise.

"... Is it open, now?" He asked.

Kirumi approached the door and pushed it. It opened, just like he thought.

The trio entered the building. It had a sci-fi vibe to it. Both futuristic and abandoned.

The corridors were empty. It didn't look like anything was worth looking at, so they continued walking.

They noticed a room that didn't look any different from the corridors. It looked like it had three empty spaces in the walls, giving the room a strange shape. But nothing was worth inspecting here.

They left the room to continue walking through the corridors.

They reached an intersection. The left side was a dead end, but they noticed something odd. There was a small window here.

Kirumi stepped on the pipe to get a better look. "There's a bathroom in here."

"A bathroom?"

He stepped forward to look and it was indeed a futuristic-looking bathroom. Strange.

The window was way too small for them to pass anything but their heads. Ryoma probably could try to pass through it, but they were not sure about whether or not this would work.

They went the other way, hoping they would see something more interesting.

The three of them finally reached the end of the corridor, but what awaited them was a huge shutter, blocking the access to what was supposedly behind.

Kirumi narrowed her eyes. "I have a bad feeling about this. We should be careful."

Rantaro carefully approached the shutter, but the moment he was a tiny bit too close to the door, an alarm started ringing.

Shuichi slammed his hands against his ears. Sometimes he regretted having better hearing.

"W-What's going on?"

Rantaro walked away from the shutter, his also on his ears.

Monokuma appeared right after. "Oh my! Tsk, tsk, tsk! Don't you go setting off the alarm now! C'mon, c'mon, outta the way so I can turn off that alarm."

After a moment, the noise finally stopped.

"Geez! You guys gotta be more careful!"

Kirumi glared at him. "Explain yourself."

Monokuma proceeded to talk about the mechanism of the door, and how that area had to be secured. There was also a digital code that was too long to remember, but he let them go inside anyway.

Although they didn't know what was the point of visiting this room if they couldn't ever come back here.

But when they entered, their eyes immediately landed on what was on the left.

The five exisals were here, sitting in the room.

"T-The exisals??"

Rantaro immediately took a scalpel and a pair of scissors out from the pockets of his jacket, on guard, and his eyes locked on the exisals. "I'm not letting them act twice."

Kirumi raised a hand. "Calm down. They do not look active."

Shuichi didn't know if he should feel terrified or reassured these two had weapons on them at all times.

At that moment, Monokuma joined them once again.

"Ah-hahaha! Surprised? This is actually the Exisal hangar! Yep, this is where the Exisals are stored!"

That... made sense, considering what this place looked like.

"But..." he sighed. "It's almost pointless now."

Rantaro bitterly chuckled. "What, because you have only one of your minions left so you can't control them anymore?"

The black and white bear started sweating, somehow. "What!? No one can control them anymore!?"

"So he's right." Kirumi narrowed her eyes at him.

"Oh, don't worry about my reaction just now. I thought a somewhat over-the-top reaction would put you guys on the defensive."

The two pairs of green eyes glared at him.

"W-Whatever, have fun visiting!"

He left without another word.

Rantaro put the medical tools back into his pockets. However, Shuichi noticed something odd.

_There was a faint pink stain on the scalpel._

"Rantaro, could you please take back the scalpel you just put in your pocket?" the mercenary eyed him.

"Hm?"

"The scalpel."

He sighed as he took it out.

"That's blood, isn't it?"

"... I was treating an injury and forgot to wash it. No big deal."

Kirumi wasn't buying it. Neither was Shuichi.

"Go on. What was the injury?"

He stayed silent for a moment.

"... None of your business. Besides we have this room to explore." he put the scalpel away.

"You're not getting away that easily. Who did you use that on."

"Myself, sheesh! Will you quit it already??" 

"Then prove it!" The mercenary yelled. "At least prove to us you did use it for medical purposes!"

It was the first time he had heard Kirumi lose her calm. Shuichi felt chills just hearing her.

"You want me to prove it? Fine."

To both's surprise, he started taking his shirt off.

"What are you-"

But before any of them could protest, he was already bare chest, shirt in his hand.

"I got an old scar that reopened and I had to take care of it. Is that enough for you??"

The two stared at him in awe. Shuichi had never seen a wound that horrible.

He had more scars on his arms than he thought. But more importantly, the one on his chest made him shiver. The stitches looked almost hastily put back on, but if Rantaro did it himself then perhaps it was normal.

There was a long silence between them.

After glancing a few times between the two, the medic finally put his shirt back on.

"As I was saying, we have this place to explore. Let's just see if something is worth investigating here."

He turned his back on them and approached what looked like a giant hydraulic press.

Kirumi and Shuichi glanced at each other.

It was the look that meant "We'll talk about it later."

The violinist approached the exisals. They were unmoving, but that was to be expected since only one of the cubs remained.

... Perhaps now they were less of a danger than they were at the beginning.

Even if the hangar was almost pointless for Monokuma now, why would he give them access to those exisals?

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard Kirumi trying to handle one of the machines.

"W-What are you doing?"

She turned to him. "I want to see if they're usable for us."

However, she was unable to even open the thing.

Which meant that plan was out of the window.

There was also a washing machine and a spray painter for the exisals, from what they had guessed.

... If they had the possibility to move the exisals, then Miu would have had fun with this, probably.

Shuichi turned to Rantaro, who was inspecting the safety notice of the hydraulic press.

Apparently, there was a safety function forbidding from fully going down when a living organism was on it.

But then again, it wasn't like they were ever going to use it.

As Rantaro went to inspect the exisals, Shuichi went to the door in the back. Perhaps something interesting was in there?

After opening the door, he realized that...

... It was only the bathroom they had seen from the window in the corridor.

Why even have a bathroom here? It wasn't like the bear could use it. And they were probably not going to be in this room ever again.

So it was useless for absolutely everyone.

_Great._

Since there was nothing else to investigate, they left.

Now that he thought about it, they hadn't seen any flashback lights.

Was it normal?

Either way, the only thing they could do was to go back to the main building and tell the others about their discovery, even though now it was pretty useless.

The walk was as silent as ever, none of them in the mood to talk.

But both the mercenary and the violinist knew they had to inform Ryoma about how Rantaro acted.

They went back to the dining hall. Only Miu and Kokichi were here.

"Oh- did you guys discover anything?" the street artist asked, trying to hide her obvious nervousness.

"Perhaps we should wait until Ryoma and Kaito come back?" Shuichi suggested.

She paused. "Hm... I don't even know how much time it will take for Ryoma to repair Kaito's leg... And it's not like he can walk four sets of stairs without it."

Good point.

"At least for now we should just give them a quick sum-up of what we found." Kirumi added.

They explained everything they had discovered in the exisal hangar, but that it would be pretty useless for them since a code was needed to enter, that they had no possible way to remember.

Miu was rather disappointed not to be able to paint the exisals. According to her, it would have been quite an experience.

Since it was almost noon, Miu and Kirumi decided to prepare lunch.

Kokichi joined them as well.

Now it was just him and Rantaro, sitting in uncomfortable silence.

"Do you... Wanna check on Ryoma and Kaito?" he suggested.

Rantaro stood up. "Sure."

After telling the kitchen trio, the two made their way to the fifth floor.

Shuichi wanted to say something. He was never the best at comforting, but he could still try.

"H-Hey..."

The medic briefly turned around. "Hm?"

"I uh..." He trailed off. "I... didn't know you had those scars... I'm sorry if we made you uncomfortable back then."

He was silent for a moment. "... It's fine. Those are old scars. I don't pay attention to them anymore."

That was clearly a lie.

"Please just... I know you probably don't want to talk to me about it but... You're friends with Ryoma, right? He doesn't think any less of you because of the trial... I know he'll talk to you if you ask him."

The violinist saw him narrowing his eyes a bit. "... I'll think about it."

So that was the best he could get out of him.

They reached the lab and Shuichi knocked on the door before entering.

The two made their way to the back. Kaito was sitting on one of the wooden boxes, watching Ryoma working on the prosthetic leg.

"Oh, hey there."

Ryoma perked his head up, taking off his safety glasses. "You're back."

"We wanted to check on you both... How is work going?" Shuichi asked.

He took the prosthetic leg in his hands. "I'm almost done. It wasn't exactly a hard task, it just took time for me to identify the correct materials and get them. It isn't easy when your partner is a one-legged man."

Kaito groaned. "Sorry, sorry... I can't exactly help it, y'know?"

"Never said you could."

The three stayed there as Ryoma kept working.

After some time, he was finally done.

"Here. I did my best."

Kaito examined the leg. "It's as good as new! Thanks!"

The weapons maker snickered. "Don't sweat it. Just don't get another spear or something in the leg, okay?"

He laughed. "I'll try, I'll try."

Kaito put his leg back on and the four finally left the lab to go back to the dining hall.

The three had just finished preparing lunch.

It was nice to eat a real meal after days of bland rice and crackers.

They ate in silence since there was no possible way to make a nice conversation. The atmosphere was tense, Shuichi could sense it.

"So... No flashback light this time?" Kokichi hesitantly asked.

Miu hummed. "That's odd... Monokuma always gives us one after a trial..."

Kirumi sighed. "So we're no further ahead, then."

Too bad. They thought they could at least get a better idea of what was going on, where they were, why they were here, but Monokuma decided not to help them.

Was it because they already knew too much?

After all, they learned that Kaito was not Keebo's killer, they had Tsumugi's notebook to read, Kiyo's notebook would perhaps give him more information on the others...

Was there enough information in there for them to figure out the rest?

He would have to take a look at the notebooks, then.

But right now, he just felt tired.

He wanted to be alone.

After that, everyone parted their ways, agreeing to investigate the rest when they would be in a better mental state.

Kokichi wanted to go back to Himiko's lab, alone this time.

Miu and Kaito were together in the street artist's lab.

Kirumi was not in the mood to be with anyone, which was more than understandable.

And to his relief, Ryoma and Rantaro were hanging out together.

Shuichi didn't know what to do. He simply felt tired from this morning's events.

... Perhaps he could try to get some rest.

He went back to his room and laid on his bed.

He closed his eyes, desperately hoping that he would not be haunted by nightmarish visions this time.

...

\--

5 PM.

Shuichi slowly opened his eyes. He had managed to sleep peacefully, for once.

He sat up, rubbing his face.

Taking a look at his monopad, he tried to see where everyone was.

Ryoma and Rantaro had moved to the casino, for some reason.

Kokichi was still in Himiko's lab.

As for Kirumi, Kaito, and Miu, they were all in the street artist's lab.

... Perhaps he could try to talk to Kokichi. He hadn't spoken to him alone for a long time.

Hopefully, he would accept his visit.

After getting to the astronomer's lab and climbing the huge amount of steps, he knocked on the door.

A few moments later, Kokichi opened. "Shuichi?"

He didn't look mad, thankfully.

"Do you mind if I come in?"

Kokichi nodded as he let the violinist into the lab.

There were open books and papers scattered around the telescope.

"What were you doing?" he asked.

Kokichi reached for one of the books. "I wanted to see what got Himiko so passionate about space... Miu told me I could try to read some books about astronomy, and now I'm trying to look at the stars and constellations."

Carrying Himiko's legacy... That was a nice thought.

"But to be honest... There's something I'm trying to do, but it will take time, I think."

"What is it?"

He took a piece of paper. "I'm trying to retrace what I can find with the telescope, the constellations visible from here and everything. But more importantly..."

He narrowed his eyes at the sky map from one of the books.

"... I'm trying to figure out where we are on this planet."

Shuichi's eyes widened. That was actually a smart idea. Considering how there was a possibility they were thousands of kilometers away from their home, using the stars as a way to locate themselves was a great plan.

"For now I'm mostly trying to figure out how this telescope works... But if I do manage to use it there's a possibility we figure out where we are and which season we are currently in!"

Shuichi grinned. "That's great! I don't know much about astronomy but if it can help us then I'm all for it."

Kokichi smiled, but he quickly dropped it. "T-Thanks... Although I'm sure Himiko would have gladly done it instead of me..."

The violinist put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure Himiko would have been proud to see you getting interested in astronomy."

"... Maybe you're right."

The two tried to understand how the telescope worked.

Kokichi was reading one of the manuals while Shuichi tried to move the machine.

It took them a while, but after some time they managed to completely figure out the telescope's basic aspects.

But looking at the time on the clock, perhaps it was better to just go downstairs for now.

That may have been a small step for them, but that could be one giant leap for the group.

The two went back to the first floor. The trio that was in the street artist's lab was now preparing dinner.

"Oh, hey there!" Miu called them.

Shuichi approached the group. "What are you guys preparing?"

"The classic beef ramen, baby!" Kaito exclaimed. "... It's the only recipe I know."

He giggled. "Do you guys need any help?"

"Eh, just set the table. It's not like you can do much right now." Miu shrugged.

The two did as told. While they were doing so, the other two boys came in as well.

They ate in silence. Kokichi explained his plan to find their location, and that he would perhaps try this evening.

Shuichi thought about the two notebooks. He didn't have the energy to read them, but he would surely have to do so at some point.

But just as they were about to leave, the screen of the monitor turned on.

"Ahem! This is a school announcement!"

The others turned to the screen, showing Monokuma stirring a glass.

"Everyone, please gather at the gym immediately!"

They all looked at each other.

What kind of announcement did Monokuma want to make?

They made their way here, Shuichi's heart pounding in his chest.

When everyone arrived, the bear wasn't there.

"... Where is he?" Kaito asked.

As if on cue, the black and white robot popped up, along with his green cub.

"My, my! I have waited wayyy too long for you guys to show up! Don't ever make your headmaster wait that much ever again!"

Miu rolled her eyes. "We are the ones who waited for you, though."

"Cut that shit out." Rantaro took a step forward. "What do you want from us?"

The bear pouted. "Quit being so impatient! Besides..."

He took a look at all of them. "Who told you that you were allowed not to wear your uniforms properly??"

Ryoma shrugged. "Not in the rules, chief."

His passive tone almost made Shuichi snicker.

The bear grunted. "Whatever. I'm here to give you what you all have been waiting for!"

Kokichi raised an eyebrow. "The flashback light?"

"No." Rantaro interrupted him. "If he wanted to give us a flashback light, he would have done so during the explorations."

"Oh~ Perspective, aren't we?" Monokuma put his paws on his mouth. "You are right! There's no flashback light this time!"

"I reunited all of you here to announce the new motive!"

Huh? Already? Monokuma always waited the day after the explorations to announce the new motive. Why the sudden change?

"You see, I was planning another motive, but I am going to put it aside for now. I mean, someone gave me an excellent idea!"

Someone? Who would even give ideas to him?

"Stop the nonsense." Ryoma glared at him. "We already know who you're talking about. And I don't think _he_ suggested you anything."

... Nope. No idea.

"Well, well. Inspired, gave me ideas, same thing!"

Kirumi crossed her arms. "I am supposing this is about Korekiyo, right?"

Shuichi turned to her. "Wh-"

"Ding ding ding! You are absolutely right!"

Korekiyo... Inspired him?

"Your dear friend had a deal with me. He had to make sure the trial went on for at least one hour, and then he was free to do whatever he wanted!"

"So I decided to give you guys the motive you all love from the bottom of your hearts..."

_"... A time limit!"_

What? Again? But... Why? What did it have to do with Kiyo?

"And since he made the trial last for four long hours, your time limit will be in four days!"

So that's why Kiyo kept on fighting... It was to buy them more time to end the game by themselves.

"That's right! From this moment, you have exactly 96 hours to kill the person of your choice!"

The others looked at the bear in shock.

"Soooo... Do what you want with this, but if no one is dead by the limit, consider yourselves as dead as good ol' Tsumugi!"

He flinched at those words.

And he was not the only one.

The black bear left before they could add anything, leaving the green cub alone.

"..."

"GOOD-LUCK. MAY-THE-ODDS-BE-IN-YOUR-FAVOR."

He left.

Shuichi could only stare at the spot where Monokuma was.

They had thought he wouldn't put another time limit but... They were sorely mistaken.

Did that mean it was never supposed to be the motive until Kiyo acted on his own?

What was the original motive, then?

He glanced at Rantaro, who had his fists clenched, but was silent, like deep in thought.

"... Ryoma."

The weapons maker perked up. "Yes?"

"You have more than enough materials to create whatever machine you desire, right?"

He put his hands in his pockets. "... What are you planning?"

Rantaro let out a chuckle. "Isn't it obvious?"

[ _"We're getting out of here."_ ](https://youtu.be/GTTUbby58zQ)

Shuichi perked up. The only way to get out was through the...

... Death road of ...

...

That... That was his plan?

To create weapons to go through the death road of despair?

"You want me to create the proper equipment to go through the tunnels?"

"Exactly."

They now had the engineer's lab open, and all the possibilities with it.

Now was their chance. They could do it.

_They could escape._

"Wait, wait, wait..." Miu approached Rantaro. "You want us to go through the death road of despair, again?"

"That's our only solution." he replied. "If we can disable the traps in the tunnels, we can get out."

"R-Really??" Kaito exclaimed. "So we actually have a chance?"

"Listen well."

Rantaro raised his voice, stepping forward to make sure everyone could see him.

"Tonight, Ryoma will be making the equipment for the tunnels. I will be preparing medical stuff for if things go wrong."

"If we can get through the tunnels, we can get out of this place for good."

"I'm gonna have to ask you to get some food and water just in case we need it outside."

"We're in the endgame now. If this mission succeeds, we can go back to the outside world without having to worry about a time limit nor a killing game anymore."

"I'm counting on you all. Get some rest tonight, because tomorrow, we're out."

_"Did I make myself clear!?"_

Shuichi could finally sense some hope. Even though Rantaro looked furious at Monokuma for reminding him about his past mistakes, he could sense his fighting spirit.

The will to end the game, growling from deep inside him.

"Alright!" Miu yelled. "It's decided! We're out!"

"Y-Yeah! We have to do this!" Kokichi added.

"It's about damn time." Kirumi sighed in relief. "The atmosphere here may have been better than before the game for me, but I'm getting tired of Monokuma's nonsense."

"Then we'll fight! We're going to make it!" Kaito exclaimed.

Shuichi was impressed by everyone's sudden will to fight. "Then I'll fight too!"

Ryoma chuckled. "You can count on me for the weapons, boss. It's nice to see the fighting spirit of our medic."

Rantaro looked at them, a determined look on his face.

A determination that was filled with the rage accumulated these past two weeks.

A determination fueled by the shining hope, rising from deep inside their hearts.

"... Let's do this."

The group separated. Ryoma went to his lab, Rantaro went to his own and Miu volunteered to get the food from the dining hall.

They were going to get out of here.

For Gonta. For Tenko. For Kaede. For Maki. For Himiko. For Keebo. For Angie. For Tsumugi. And for Korekiyo.

Tomorrow would be a big day.

_The day where this killing game ends._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shitshow²
> 
> Also, for everyone's outfit changes, here are the references! https://kagazuly.tumblr.com/post/631609237472215040/monokuma-took-a-look-at-all-of-them-who-told-you  
> And finally sorry for the wait! This chapter is the longest I've written so far, I wondered whether or not I should divide it in two like most of chapter 4 but I couldn't find a good way to do it so enjoy this 13k word long part lol
> 
> Lab locations  
> -  
> Himiko: Replaces Kaito's lab.  
> Ryoma: Replaces Tsumugi's lab.


	38. Chapter 5: An oath to one's lost humanity - Daily life (part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After exploring the new labs and getting another time limit, the team is up to the revolution! They will use the tunnels and Ryoma's weapons to get out for good! Right?

...

...

_"What am I, really?"_

...

_"My mind feels like it's going to shatter into pieces."_

...

_"It hurts."_

...

\--

Day 18 since the beginning of the game.

6:30 AM.

Shuichi woke up to the sound of his alarm. He had put it on so he would be ready by 7:00 AM- the time everyone chose to reunite and finally go through the tunnels.

With newfound energy, he made his daily routine.

He had packed a few things he wanted to take with him in bags they had found at the warehouse.

Tsumugi and Kiyo's notebooks, some of the items the others gave to him as a souvenir, but he preferred not to pack too much stuff as he would have to take both Ryoma's weapons and a part of the foods and drinks for outside.

Once ready, he pushed the door of his room. Kirumi and Miu were already there. There were a few packages at their feet.

"Good morning, Shuichi! Ready to go?" the street artist called.

"Good morning!" he approached them. "What are those for?" he asked, pointing the objects.

Kirumi handed him one. "Those are the food packs with a bottle of water. Make sure to take one."

He opened his bag and did as told.

Shuichi had just noticed that Miu didn't put on her leather jacket, and Kirumi had put her whole uniform back on.

"Oh... Did you two decide to switch back to the usual uniform?"

Miu shrugged. "I kept the jacket in my bag. If we go through the tunnels that ain't going to be the most practical thing to wear."

"As for me, this is a similar situation. Besides, I asked Rantaro to reinforce the bandages, and this is also in case we have to brave the cold outside."

It's true that they had no idea what was waiting for them. Sure, if nature managed to grow trees inside the academy, then outside shouldn't be that bad.

But if they were in the middle of nowhere and had to walk days to find even one person alive, then surely they would need enough clothing.

However... 

He kept thinking back at what they learned from the flashback lights. The meteorites. The ultimate hunt. The funerals. The people claiming mankind deserved damnation.

The academy is the only place they know is safe from potential dangers. But considering the current situation, to get out was better than to kill each other for a time limit.

For now, they had to focus on their main objective.

_To get out of here._

The others were ready, but...

"Where are Rantaro and Ryoma?"

The two soldiers hadn't shown up yet.

Kirumi had her monopad out. "They are both in Ryoma's lab. I'm supposing they're doing the final touches to the equipment."

The monopads...

"Shouldn't we leave the monopads here? Monokuma can track us if we keep them..." Kokichi noted.

Good point.

"The rules say the monopads mustn't be damaged. They don't say anything about being left here." Kirumi explained.

What was the point of following the rules anymore? Were they even going to be chased by the exisals?

Only Monodam and Monokuma could control them, but if they were outside the academy, could they really do something to them?

Perhaps with Ryoma's weapons, they could work things out.

Shuichi found strange the fact that Monokuma didn't try to stop them, though.

Maybe it was because they hadn't broken a rule yet. But they would break the first rule once they step outside the academy.

... He really hoped Ryoma was indeed living up to his talent.

They took care of the last details and before they knew it, Rantaro opened the door, everyone suddenly turning to him.

He looked even more tired than yesterday, somehow. Had he even slept?

"... The weapons are waiting in Ryoma's lab. We can't bring them all at once here."

The group went to the fifth floor. Shuichi had this uncomfortable feeling in his chest, like he knew things would go wrong, but he repressed it. This was their only chance, and they had no choice but to do it.

Ryoma was waiting in front of the lab. There were several machines that looked like guns, and two heavy weapons behind.

"Is everyone here?" he asked.

"Yup. No one's missing."

"Good." he took the smaller guns and gave one to each. They were black and dark blue with a symbol resembling the one on Ryoma's beanie on them. They were lighter than Shuichi expected. "Let me explain how these guns work."

"They aren't normal guns. I guess you could call them hacking guns. You put the ammo in, you aim for a machine and it's done for. That's what we're going to use for the traps."

He distributed several sets of tiny blue bullets.

"Let me give you a demonstration."

He took his gun, opened a small chamber on the side, inserted a bullet, and closed it. He aimed at one of the Monokuma statues near the stairs that were usually moving somehow and pulled the trigger.

The wings of the bear replica started vibrating, then completely froze. The statue wobbled and fell onto the floor with a loud crash.

"Woah..."

He put the gun back in his bag. "I'll give you enough ammo for you guys to be safe, but don't use them too much. We have limited resources."

Ryoma gave them about ten bullets each. "Each bullet gives you 50 shots. There's an indicator on the gun showing how many are left. You can only insert one bullet at a time."

"As for the heavy weapons, they will be for Rantaro and I, so you don't have to worry about them."

The mercenary raised an eyebrow. "What are these for?"

He took one of them and put the strap around him. "Heavier weapons for heavier targets. You should know what I mean."

... The exisals.

Those weapons looked dangerous. Surely they would be enough to resist Monokuma's mechas. Especially if there were only two of them.

Rantaro took the second one without a complaint.

These looked really heavy though. Was their training enough to help them carry such bulky weaponry?

It looked like it, and that was a terrifying thought.

Kaito looked at Ryoma. "You managed to do all of these in one night?"

He shrugged. "That's kind of my talent. Besides, I only had to do the hacking guns from scratch. The heavy weaponry had already built-in pieces in the boxes."

Did he even sleep? That still must have taken a huge amount of time.

"Is everyone ready?" Rantaro asked, putting his backpack on.

The violinist observed his gun for a moment.

"... Yes."

They all made their way to the death road of despair.

It was tough for the two soldiers to fit their giant weaponry into the manhole, but that was not a huge problem in the end.

"This is it..." Miu muttered. "We're leaving."

"No regrets. The others wanted this for us. We cannot fail." Rantaro took a step forward, facing the tunnel. "We got an opportunity to escape and we cannot afford to miss it."

He turned to them. "I understand the doubt, but if we all want to survive, that's what we have to do."

"So no going back. Got it?"

Shuichi nodded.

He still had doubts about everything. About the outside world. About Monokuma. And...

Was there really a traitor among them? If so, they hadn't even tried to stop them- they let them do whatever they wanted.

Surely, they would have a way to stop them, right?

Unless...

Would it put their identity in danger? If they even tried to suggest this was a bad idea, they would be suspicious in the eyes of everyone.

... Or it was because they knew they couldn't escape?

So many questions ran through his head, but for now, he had to follow Rantaro and the rest of them.

They entered the tunnels, Shuichi firmly gripping his hacking gun. He checked the indicator. 50 shots left to use wisely.

He was ready.

He could hear their footsteps echoing through the dark tunnels as they walked in silence.

Shuichi heard a strange noise from behind him, and not even a second later, Kirumi turned around and shot the origin of it.

The bomb that was flying towards them fell to the ground, surprisingly not exploding.

"These guns work wonders!" Kaito exclaimed.

"Kirumi, I thought you didn't use guns for your missions... I didn't think you would have such a precise aim." Shuichi turned to the mercenary.

"Because I don't use them doesn't mean I don't know how to. They simply are not my first choice of weapons."

"Please try not to rely on one person too much, we're going to waste time unnecessarily if we have to give ammo to her over and over again." Ryoma advised.

"Got it!"

The walk through the tunnels was surprisingly easy thanks to their new weapons. Whenever a trap activated, they shot a bullet at it and it was done for. It almost felt like a video game.

Sometimes several of them had to shoot at once because of the number of traps, but what was an impossible challenge for them two weeks ago was now more than doable.

It felt good to have a sense of control. To be superior to the robotic bear forcing them to do all this.

... Could they even use the hacking guns on Monokuma? Of course, that would be against the rules but... Once outside and thus breaking one of the rules, they could deactivate him, right?

Or even if the plan doesn't work for some reason, they could still try to defeat Monokuma and end the game.

Even if the supposed mastermind made more copies of him, they still had plenty of ammo and weaponry to deal with an army of them.

But for now, he had to focus on what was ahead.

Some of the traps, unfortunately, couldn't be deactivated, so sometimes they still had to run as fast as they could.

None of them ended up getting injured though.

After what felt like an eternity of running and trap deactivation, they stopped in their tracks. He looked up to see...

... The door. The end of the tunnel, right in front of them.

"We... We made it..."

"Is that the exit?" Miu approached the thing.

"There's a shutter, though..." Kokichi noted.

Perhaps they could disable it with the guns.

Shuichi couldn't help but smile. "We did it... We can finally get out..."

"Are we sure this is the outside world, though?" Kaito asked.

Ryoma approached the panel in front of the door. "I doubt it would be a dead end. As strange as this academy is, there has to be a way out, somehow."

But... He could still feel the unsettling feeling he had prior to the trip here.

Why wasn't Monokuma here trying to stop them? Was it because they had weapons?

Was it because he had changed his strategy?

"Let's finish this."

Ryoma took out his gun and...

_*Bang!*_

He shot the control panel.

The electric shutter turned off, and the light turned green.

_Lock disabled._

"It's... over?" Miu's eyes widened.

"Then let's go!" Kaito exclaimed.

"Hold on, we still have to be careful. We do not know what's outside." Kirumi took out her gun, changing the bullet inside it.

Rantaro and Ryoma put their own aside to take the heavy weaponry they had carried all the way here.

They were ready.

They pushed the door.

But the moment they thought they would feel the fresh breeze of the outside...

_They saw it._

A city in ruins, a red sky looming over them, and not a single trace of humanity beyond that door. It was the apocalypse.

A scene full of despair.

With the harsh wind blowing on them, Shuichi suddenly felt unable to breathe, like everyone else.

He saw some of them falling to the ground, and it wasn't long before he himself fainted.

The last thing he saw before drifting into unconsciousness was Kirumi heading towards the panel with difficulty.

Trying to... close the...

... door...

...

\--

...

After an unknown amount of time, he woke up.

Shuichi slowly opened his eyes. Everything was blurry around him.

He sat up, trying to make out the scene before him.

The door was closed, and everyone was on the ground, slowly waking up as well.

"What... What is this?"

He tried to stand up, taking deep breaths.

"What the hell was that??" Kaito yelled.

"Why is everything in ruin?? What the hell happened?" Miu exclaimed, hands on her head.

"That was definitely the outside world, but... How did it end up like this?" Ryoma stared at the door.

Kirumi slowly sat up from the control panel.

"We didn't get to see much but I think that was enough to say the outside world isn't a solution anymore."

"B-B-But how d-did this happen?? W-What... What happened?" Kokichi couldn't even form a sentence.

Shuichi tried to apprehend what he just saw. "The outside world... Is in ruins...?"

"Then... If the outside world is in ruin..." Miu muttered. She suddenly put both of her hands on her mouth. "Kaz-"

The violinist's eyes widened. If everything was in ruin then... Where were their loved ones?

Were they-

"No... Nonononononono-"

"Then..." Ryoma looked at the door with concern. "Was this game of 'kill to get outside' a lie?"

They all wanted to leave but this... This was the outside world?

Was everyone dead? Were they the only people alive? Was the entire outside world like this?

"So! You finally learned your lesson?"

A robotic voice called. Monokuma appeared in front of the door.

"This is the outside world you all have been trying to achieve! Isn't it splendid?"

...

He couldn't believe this.

"If you thought I would let any of you leave, then that's wrong! I didn't stop you *because* I knew you couldn't leave! Did any of you think your lovely headmaster wouldn't be more careful?"

...

No one was able to mutter a single word. Everyone was dead. The outside world was no more. They were fighting for a world that didn't exist anymore.

"This is where I shall give you the second motive!"

...

He wasn't even listening anymore.

"Although... Now isn't exactly a good time, is it?"

...

Huh?

_"It would be better if every one of you was awake for the motive announcement!"_

Everyone... Awake?

"Rantaro...?"

He heard Ryoma's voice from behind.

Rantaro was still unconscious on the floor.

_"Rantaro!!"_

The weapons maker put a knee down next to him. He placed a hand on his chest and let out a sigh of relief.

"... He's breathing. Only unconscious."

But... Why...? Why was he the only one still unconscious?

Miu ran up to him as well. "What should we do? What happened to him? Why isn't he awake?"

"I don't know, Miu. I don't know."

"Wake up! Please!" she cried. "Please..."

But her tears couldn't bring miracles.

The medic was sleeping. And nothing on his face indicated a peaceful sleep. He looked terrified, like the rest of them right now.

The others approached him as well, ignoring the bear.

"Hey! Pay attention to your headmaster!"

...

No one did.

"Give him some space. He needs to breathe."

"How are we even going to get back to the academy? Do we wait for him to wake up?"

"No! He needs more than just resting! He needs to be taken care of!"

"What, you can carry him?"

"W-We also have his stuff to carry..."

Kirumi put a knee on the floor. "... I'll carry him. Someone will need to transport my equipment and Rantaro's, but I can try to carry him."

"Really? You have the strength?"

"I don't see anyone else volunteering. I can give it a try. He doesn't look too heavy."

"HEY!"

The bear yelled from behind.

"I said, I have the motive to show you guys!"

"Shut your fucking mouth! No one needs you to-

_*Bang!*_

Before Shuichi could think, a gunshot was heard.

But it missed its target.

And the one who tried to shoot...

... Was none other than Ryoma, who had just stood up, gun in hand.

He glared at the bear with frightening blue eyes. The glare similar to Rantaro's.

"... None of you learn their lessons. It is quite sad."

"Shut it. If you think you're going to get away with this entire game of yours, you are sorely mistaken."

He wrapped his finger around the trigger.

"I missed on purpose just now as a warning. Leave us alone or I'll make sure to use each and every one of your pieces as I please."

"So now, do yourself a favor and get out of here."

There was a long silence.

"... If you think a single toy will make me comply, then you did not learn a single thing from this game. I feel sorry for you."

"The rules are quite clear. Any violence against the headmaster is prohibited."

Ryoma didn't move.

"Oh well, since one of you is still out, I can't exactly give you the second motive, so for now... Buh-bye!~"

Finally, Monokuma left.

And silence settled in the room once more.

Ryoma lowered the gun and put it back into his bag.

"... We're going to have to think of a new strategy. But for now it's useless to stay here any longer."

Shuichi tried to push his worries away. "W-What do you suggest?"

The weapons maker pondered for a moment.

"There's nothing left to see here. So we can go back to the academy. That's our priority for now."

"Kirumi, you'll carry Rantaro since he doesn't look like he'll wake up anytime soon. Kaito, I'm going to ask you to take his weapon since you're probably the second strongest here-

"I'll do it."

They turned to Miu. "... I'll take the gun. I'm a bit stronger than I look, you know?"

Her voice was low, almost shaking. She must still be in shock.

Shuichi remembered the day Kokichi and her were locked up in the lab. When she carried him back to the dorms.

Perhaps she was indeed the stronger of the two.

"... Alright. I know better than to underestimate people by their physical appearance."

"I'll take Kirumi's bag and one of you take Rantaro's. Then we're out."

Kaito was the one to take it this time.

"We'll think about what we just saw once we're out. For now, there's more urgent."

Shuichi nodded.

They took everything they had and walked back to the entrance.

He realized Ryoma managed to take the lead rather quickly. But right now, it was not a bad thing, considering their mental state.

The walk felt long, as the silence and the shock was making the atmosphere heavier and heavier.

The violinist looked at Kirumi, who had Rantaro on her back. She didn't look like she was struggling much carrying him.

He had no idea how the medic was holding up. What was the deal with him?

He asked himself that question so many times already, and yet he never got the answer.

Everyone was exhausted. Good thing they didn't have to deal with traps on the way back.

They had prepared themselves just to see the outside world is nothing but ruins?

This felt so wrong.

The group arrived at the entrance, but a problem immediately surfaced.

There was no way Kirumi could climb the ladder with Rantaro on her back.

"... Shit. I forgot about that part." Ryoma muttered.

"W-What do we do, then?" Kokichi asked.

There was a long silence.

"I can still try to climb the ladder, but we will need to find a way to make sure Rantaro doesn't slip off."

"Too dangerous. We can't risk his life for this."

"So what do you suggest?"

Ryoma looked at the manhole, then back at the group.

"One of you stays here while we bring back the weapons to my lab. I'll come back after to watch over him."

"Why not just leaving us the weapons? We know where your lab is." Kaito raised an eyebrow.

"I want to make sure the weapons are safe. I'm not leaving any of them in the hands of that stupid bear."

Good point.

"Then... Who stays?"

Miu crossed her arms, looking away. "Well... Kirumi carried Rantaro the entire way back, so... Perhaps we should give her a break from carrying weapons. Her back must hurt like hell."

... She still didn't know, did she?

Ryoma stared at her for a moment. "Fair enough. Kirumi, does it bother you to stay here?"

"Not at all. We have the resources in the bags, I can give them to him if he needs to in case he wakes up."

She gently put the medic on the ground with the help of Miu and Ryoma, and a half-emptied bag behind his head as a pillow.

He hadn't moved a single inch ever since they opened the door to the outside world.

The others took the rest of the equipment and Kirumi's hacking gun and started climbing the ladder.

Shuichi shot one last glance at her. She was sitting back to the wall, keeping a close eye on Rantaro.

For now, they had to take back the weapons to Ryoma's lab.

On the way here, he tried to think about what they just saw. The crimson scenery, the destroyed buildings, and the howling wind that knocked them all out.

If the entire world was nothing but ruins... Then what were they fighting for?

Why did Tenko give them more time to find a way out to a deceased world?

Why did Maki go so far as to kill someone at random if her family was decimated?

Why giving them reasons to go back to a world that doesn't exist?

Why did everyone make those sacrifices?

_Why were they the only ones still alive?_

These questions kept echoing in Shuichi's head. And no one had an answer to them.

They arrived at the weapons maker's lab.

"... I'll take care of these. We'll discuss important matters once Rantaro wakes up. Besides, you guys probably need to free your minds right now."

Kaito frowned. "'You guys'? Don't you include yourself in this?"

He paused for a moment. "... I'll go back to watch over Rantaro soon enough and let Kirumi go back to the academy. Also, I don't think I can rest without thinking about what we saw outside."

Shuichi glanced away for a moment, then looked back at him. "But-

His gaze was enough to tell he wasn't taking no for an answer.

The four left the lab upon Ryoma's request.

But even after closing the door behind them, he would see the uneasiness on their faces.

Miu looked like she was holding back tears. Kaito looked distressed as well, but was either less touched or was hiding it better.

As for Kokichi, it was hard to tell what he was thinking.

They went to the dining hall. Perhaps grabbing a snack would make them feel a little better.

But the moment they stepped foot in the dining hall...

_... They saw a flashback light on the table._

"... Huh?" Miu blinked.

Kaito approached the thing. "Why is it here? It's unused, but... Couldn't Monokuma have given it to us yesterday?"

That was indeed strange.

"We can only wait for the others, then..." Shuichi muttered.

They sat around the table. None of them were even hungry. The violinist had just taken a glass of water.

He crossed his arms and put his face in them. The others were not in the mood either.

Kaito had stayed right outside the room to tell Ryoma about the flashback light.

After some time, he went back to the dining hall. "We're good. Now I guess Kirumi will come back soon enough."

They sat in silence. Sure, they could try to do something productive in the meantime, but... Everyone wordlessly agreed to stay here.

Some time after, the door reopened, revealing the mercenary.

She sat with the others without a word. She didn't look as shocked and worried, though. It was hard to tell how she was feeling.

...

"... What a silence." Kirumi noted after a long period of time.

"Well, do you have something to say?" Kaito asked. He noticed a hint of bitterness in his voice.

"Not really. I simply wish to understand what we witnessed."

"What's the point?" Kokichi muttered, voice muffled by his arms. "We can't get out of here anyway. We're going to die by the time limit. None of us have anything to go back to."

He was right. Either they die in the outside world, or they die executed by Monokuma when the time limit arrives.

There was no other choice.

"Not to be too blunt, but you all disappoint me."

Shuichi perked up. "Huh?"

"Look. Perhaps I am the only one in this case. I don't have anything to go back to in the outside world, in shambles or not. But I've dedicated my whole life to survival even when I knew nothing was waiting for me. This is no different and I'm not going to give up on everything I've done until now because of it."

"Excuse me?" Kaito suddenly stood up, approaching Kirumi. "We have families that are probably dead by now! We have something to go back to! But you saw the same thing we saw back there! There's nothing! Everyone is dead!"

The mercenary didn't back down, even though Kaito was mere inches away from her. "I know that as much as you do, thank you. But have you seriously lost your survival instinct and your respect for the dead the second your eyes landed on this hellish landscape? Because it sure looks like it."

_"WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT RESPECTING THE DEAD?? YOU KILL PEOPLE FOR A LIVING, FOR FUCK'S SAKE!!"_

...

Those words echoed through the room.

Kaito was glaring at her. He was furious.

Kirumi, on the other hand, looked like she was holding back an immense amount of rage. Her cold, green eyes kept staring at the biker.

Without a word, she went back to the door, the eery tapping of her heels being the only sound in the room.

"Where are you going??"

She stopped for a moment.

"I am not welcome here, so I am leaving. Simple as that. I will be in my lab. Call me back when the flashback light is ready to be used."

"Wait-"

She closed the door behind her.

The amount of self-control she had was terrifying.

"Kaito... That was kind of harsh, don't you think?" he muttered.

He scoffed. "She's a freaking mercenary! She wouldn't have this job if she actually cared about peoples' lives!"

"But... She's right on certain points..." Kokichi nervously fidgeted with his sleeves. "If we give up now, then we're giving up everything we've done so far... And everyone would have died for nothing..."

"Because we didn't know there was nothing to go back to. I doubt we would have done something if we knew the world had ended from the start." Miu crossed his arms on the table. She was only muttering those words, an obvious sadness in her eyes.

Would they... Would they really have given up that easily back then? Would they have let themselves die?

"But still... We should at least try to understand the situation before agreeing on such a serious decision..." Shuichi suggested.

They looked at each other for a moment.

Kaito sat back down. "Let's just... Wait for Ryoma and Rantaro to come."

Silence settled upon them once again. But some of Shuichi's thoughts were replaced by guilt.

After some time, he stood up. "I'll... try to talk to Kirumi."

He left before anyone could say anything.

The violinist walked to her lab. Fortunately, it wasn't that far.

He knocked on the door. A few moments later, the mercenary opened. "... Are they back?"

"No, I just... thought I could talk to you."

She paused.

"Come in."

The two sat on the chairs. Kirumi was staring at nothing in particular, the rhythmic tapping of her nails echoing through the room.

"I'm... I'm sure Kaito didn't mean what he said." He broke the silence. But he had no idea if his statement was true or not.

"It's fine."

That would have been a bit more convincing if he hadn't already heard this quote used as a lie over and over again by the remaining survivors.

"But I stand my point. Your lack of survival instinct disgusts me."

"W-What do you mean?" perhaps he could learn a bit more about her ideals. She had always been silent about them.

"I've fought many battles in the past. All of them were for my own survival. I've never fought for anything or anyone but myself. It was survival of the fittest, after all. Never once have I completed a mission with any other intentions than 'if I do not kill my target, I will die'. This is everything I've lived for."

For someone to have such a strong survival instinct... That is probably why she is still alive to this day.

"Do not get me wrong, if another path opened that allowed me to live my life without those missions, I would gladly take it. I do not take pleasure in killing."

That was a bit reassuring, somehow.

"However I do not mind doing so if it means allowing myself to live longer."

He thought for a moment. Asking that question was a bit risky but... He wanted to. "I understand your thought process, but..."

"Why didn't you kill anyone? Considering your talent, you could have gotten away with it."

"Getting away with murder is not an easy task. No matter how strong and smart you are, you cannot escape the killing game rules if you get found out. You have seen it, even the slightest mistakes can be fatal."

"Besides, we have the ultimate karma in our group. To kill someone to escape would be suicide."

"What about the first blood perk? You could have killed someone easily and Monokuma would have let you out."

She paused for a moment. Shuichi could feel his heart pounding in his chest as she stared at him.

"... At this point I do not think saying it would have many consequences, whether you're responsible for this mess or not."

He didn't know what to say. "What do you mean?"

_"I never acted because I have the feeling Monokuma would have never kept his promise."_

Shuichi blinked. "W-What do you mean?"

"I did not know how Monokuma worked at the time. Would you really trust the bear keeping us trapped here to keep the promise of letting you go free if you kill someone?"

... Not at all.

"I will admit I considered it. But my trust for this bear is lower than anything else, which is why I passed this so-called opportunity." she explained. "I hope I answered your question."

He nodded. A part of him wanted to believe it was because she didn't want to kill, but... Perhaps he had too much faith. Kirumi was a trained killer, after all. It's only normal she would act strategically.

The room was silent for a while. Shuichi couldn't tell if it was tense or peaceful.

"Changing the subject, you are pretty dense, aren't you?" she asked.

"W-What do you mean?"

"When I said I didn't want to talk to anyone yesterday, I was waiting for you in my lab."

... Oh.

"Wait, really?"

She sighed. "It's fine. You said you needed to rest, anyway."

Still.

"W-What did you want to talk about?"

_"Rantaro's obvious lie back in the exisal hangar."_

His heart skipped a beat. "U-Um... Which part are you talking about?"

"To be honest, I do not know which words that came out of his mouth are lies and which are not, but I am mostly talking about the reason he used a scalpel."

Shuichi frowned. "He said he had to take care of an old scar that reopened, right?"

"And why would you use a scalpel for this?"

He paused. "To... undo the stitches?"

She blinked at him a few times. "And here I thought you had common sense."

"H-Hey!"

"You don't cut stitches with a scalpel when you have scissors. That's basic knowledge, and he is a war medic."

...

"You think... he lied to us?"

"I don't 'think'. I'm certain he lied."

"But if he used that on anyone else, they would have said something-

He brutally stopped.

...

"Do you think... He..."

Shuichi trailed off, growing more worried by the second.

But before he could add anything, there was a knock on the door.

They looked at each other for a second.

Kirumi opened the door, revealing Kokichi. "They're back."

The three made their way to the dining hall.

But before they could enter, Shuichi heard some noise inside- people arguing, most likely. He didn't recognize the voices, unfortunately.

Kokichi opened the door to reveal that the ones arguing were Rantaro and Miu.

"We can't just leave you out of these! They're important for all of us!"

"Please, Miu. My head is killing me. I told you I'll be fine without it."

"What is the ruckus about?" Kirumi asked, everyone suddenly turning to her.

"I said that I'll let you guys use the flashback light without me because I'm tired enough as it is."

"But your memories! We can't use this without you!"

"You'll just tell me what it was about! But right now I feel like shit and I'm going to rest, okay?" he only slightly raised his voice.

He started making his way towards the door.

Shuichi, who was already worried sick about him, put himself in the way. "I know you probably need rest, but... Perhaps you can do that after we use it? Or we can use it after you rested a little?"

... He had no idea what he was doing. Hopefully, this wouldn't go too badly.

Rantaro looked at him with tired, empty eyes. "Please, move. I don't have the energy to confront any of you right now."

The violinist looked past him at Miu, who narrowed her eyes for a moment.

"I'm sorry, but..."

The medic perked up, his expression suddenly changing to a panicked one.

He instantly turned around. "DON'T YOU D-

_*clic!*_

Miu activated the flashback light.

The memories rushed to his mind.

The meteorites.

The end of the world approaching.

Leaders of every nation wanting to prevent the extinction of the human race. They had created the Gofer Project not to save humanity, but rather to salvage it. And they were the ones chosen for this mission.

They were going to be the ones recreating humanity from the ashes, passing their legacy on, and discover perhaps a new planet to live on.

He remembered saying goodbye to his uncle and cousin as the ones working on the project were waiting for him.

He had left his family, his friends, and everyone behind for the project.

_They were humanity's last hope. The 16 chosen ones to carry on Earth's legacy._

...

His vision slowly came back to him.

But his eyes immediately turned to Rantaro, who was struggling to keep himself steady, hands on his head, breathing heavily and shaking slightly.

"A-Are you okay?" He wanted to put his hands on his shoulders but refrained from doing so.

He stayed like this for a moment. Had they seen the same thing with the flashback light?

Ryoma approached him. "You good?"

After a few more shaky deep breaths, he stood back up, a hand still gripping his head.

"I'm... fine."

Shuichi turned back to the others.

Kaito was looking at the ground, processing what just happened.

Kirumi was staring at the three with concern, but it was most likely she was also pondering about the situation.

Kokichi was thinking as well. This was a lot to take in.

But Miu... She had both hands on her mouth, desperately trying to hold back tears.

"K-Kaz... I abandoned him... I..."

They all had to leave their families behind. Their loved ones. Everyone they wanted to live with, they had to abandon them for the Gofer Project.

To salvage humanity.

Miu fell on her knees. "H-He's... He's dead..."

The others stared at her for a moment. No one had comforting words to help.

But to Shuichi's surprise, Rantaro was the first to approach her, kneeling down.

"Hey."

The street artist lifted her head.

"They wanted this for us. They wanted us to live. Even if they're not here anymore, the least we can do is to salvage their memory."

"And it's by staying alive that we can honor them. If we are indeed humanity's last hope..."

"... Then we shall carry on their legacy and fight until the very end. For our siblings. For our friends. For our family. For everyone who believed in us. Whether they were strangers, acquaintances, or much more than that."

"No one would want to see us so soon in the afterlife. So even if it's hard, even if we have challenges to surpass, even if we have enemies in our way, there is only one path to follow if we want to be satisfied with our lives."

"It's to keep living on."

Rantaro's voice was low, but confident. He may have been talking to Miu, but his words pierced Shuichi's heart as well.

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, it was like he had regained his will. Although these last few days were harsh, he seemed to be back to the soldier he claimed to be since the very beginning.

Even if they had different ideals, even if they were fighting for drastically different causes, even if they had different visions of life, their objective was the same.

_To live._

Miu stared at him for a moment. She glanced away, like she was hesitating.

And without a warning, she wrapped her arms around him. He looked surprised at first, but hugged her back anyway.

The young woman started crying all the tears in her body.

It then felt like a chain reaction.

Shuichi felt warm tears form in his eyes. He put a hand on his mouth and looked at the ground.

A hand landed on his shoulder, he looked up to see Kaito next to him. He looked away for a second. There wasn't a single word spoken, but it was not necessary. The biker pulled him into a hug, letting Shuichi cry on his chest. He doesn't know if Kaito was even doing so as well. But right now, all he was thinking was the same phrase over and over.

_Everyone is dead._

Neither Kirumi, Kokichi, nor Ryoma cried. They already had no one to go back to, but stayed silent for the sake of the others.

They could only follow Rantaro's words.

But after a moment, he felt Kaito moving slightly. He looked up to see him looking at Kirumi.

He turned to the mercenary. She pointed at Rantaro and Miu, who were still on the floor, holding onto each other like a lifeline.

At first, he didn't see what was wrong, but on a closer look, Rantaro was staring at the void with wide, fearful eyes. It wasn't the face of a comforting person- but rather someone who was completely terrified.

He glanced back at Kirumi for a second, who gestured that they should be separated as soon as possible.

Kaito approached Miu and tapped on her shoulder.

She opened her eyes, blurry with tears.

The biker pointed at the person she was hugging.

She frowned for a moment, then looked like she had just realized what was happening.

"H-Hey... You're hurting me a little here-"

...

No response.

"Rantaro...?"

He was shaking.

The street artist tried to move her hands to his shoulders to perhaps try and push him away for a moment, but his grip was too strong.

"Rantaro...!"

He suddenly perked up. "Huh?"

Realizing how he was positioned, he instantly let go of her.

"... Sorry, I was out for a moment."

_That's not 'being out', but sure._

The two stood back up, Miu looking seriously concerned for him.

There was a heavy silence in the room.

"What... What do we do...?" Kokichi muttered. "I don't even know what to think anymore."

... No one answered. No one had a plan. No one knew what they could do.

What broke the silence first was the sound of the monitor turning on.

"Ahem! This is a school announcement!"

Kaito raised an eyebrow. "Again?"

"Everyone, please gather at the gym immediately!"

... That must be about the second motive.

Was the time limit not enough? What did he even want?

They made their way to where they were requested to go.

And on the stage was Monokuma, eating what looked like a salmon, next to several huge boxes painted black and white.

There was an awkward moment as everyone stared at the bear.

"Finally! I've waited so very long to announce this motive! If all of could stop fainting each time I try to do something, that could be nice!" he exclaimed as he threw away the half-eaten fish.

For once, no one said anything. Perhaps because they were all done with his games.

"... Could you kids lighten up a little? I will announce you all the next motive! Did you like the last flashback light, by the way?"

"I currently want to gut you of your wires until you're nothing more than a metallic empty shell. Is that the answer you're looking for?" Ryoma sarcastically said, glaring at the bear.

"Puhuhu... Such passion in hatred! I haven't seen it in years!"

"How old even are you?" Kokichi asked, visibly annoyed.

"Those are mere details distracting you from the important!"

Shuichi almost forgot about the motive.

"The motive that I planned to give you from the start..."

The boxes suddenly opened, revealing what looked like military equipment and other objects Shuichi didn't know of.

"... Is the one that I call 'Surviving the No-Man's land!"

That didn't help in the slightest.

"If one of you manages to make their kill before the time limit and get away with it, they will receive all this equipment! Now you may be wondering what it is for, and so, I shall answer!"

"This motive was supposed to be given right after you discovered the truth of the outside world. But due to technical difficulties, I had to postpone the announcement."

Rantaro didn't react to that remark.

"All of this equipment was created by the organizers of the Gofer Project to discover the new horizons from outer space! With this equipment, you can safely travel across even the harshest worlds! And of course, that includes..."

_"... The outside of this academy!"_

Shuichi perked up. Of course, they had prepared something. But now, it was in Monokuma's hands. The possibility to explore the outside was right in front of their eyes, but they couldn't take it.

This means if someone somehow manages to kill and get away with it, they will be the sole survivor of humanity, free to roam the crimson desert they had barely seen.

But... Who would want that?

Who would want to be the only survivor?

This doesn't make any sense. But with the time limit approaching, it became hopeless.

They now had three days to make a decision. To stay here and die, or to kill someone and have a chance to live.

This felt so absurd.

Monokuma closed the boxes. "Of course, I shall guard these precious objects safe from your clean little hands. Only the one with bloodied hands declared as an angel shall put a finger on it!"

Shuichi couldn't even feel disgusted anymore. He had already seen everything. Corpses. Executions. Mental breakdowns. The horrifying truth. Right now was just another magot in the pile.

"This was the school announcement, brought to you by your favorite headmaster! And now..."

With a slam on the podium, the floor opened beneath the boxes, making them out of reach.

"... I shall let you decide of your fate! Who shall prevail? Who shall die? Let the strongest and smartest thrive! I shall come back when your decision has been made!"

He left without another word.

At least he was gone, for now.

Shuichi glanced at the others. Judging by how everyone acted, no one would even try to do this, right?

He didn't really know. But this time, he felt more confident thinking that.

After all, everyone knew about the truth of the outside world. And to be the single ruler of humanity, to be the ultimate survivor... What was the point?

Ryoma looked at Rantaro for a moment. "I'm guessing you're thinking about the same plan as me?"

After a pause, Rantaro stepped forward. "That should be obvious."

"You... do have a plan?" Miu asked.

"There aren't a million ways to continue. I stick to what I said back in the dining hall. If we want to keep living on, there is only one solution."

_"We're going to fight."_

Shuichi almost jumped. "To fight Monokuma? But... He can still control the exisals, right?"

"And?"

He paused.

"The time limit is in three days. We have Ryoma's lab open, we have weapons, we have a safe place to live for the rest of our lives in, and right now, we have nothing to lose."

"We're going to fight Monokuma and the exisals. We're going to fight for our lives, even more than we ever did."

"We have among us someone more than capable of creating weapons strong enough for us to stand a chance. So there is only one solution to this."

"Ryoma is going to create those weapons. As for the rest of us, we will both train to fight and find out the rest of the secrets of this entire disaster."

"There is no way I'm going to let us all die here without fighting, and even if we die in the process, at least we will have tried."

"But I believe our victory is possible. I believe we can put an end to this madness once and for all. So..."

He raised his voice.

"Will you fight? Or will you let yourself die meaninglessly??"

... He would never give up in any circumstances, would he?

"Well??"

"I don't even need to say it." Ryoma put his hands in his pockets. "I'm not letting that bear dictate the rest of my days."

"You can count on me as well." Kirumi added. "I'm done with him."

"I'll fight! I said that I would yesterday, so I'll continue now!" Miu yelled.

"Even if... Even we're the sole survivors... I still want to fight." Kokichi muttered. "That's... what I promised to do, after all."

Shuichi took a step forward. "That's what we all promised, right?"

"You bet your ass that's what we promised!" Kaito exclaimed. "Even if I was never the most suited, I want to give that bear a piece of my mind!"

"Then are you guys ready to throw your lives for this? Are you ready to fight and possibly die for this cause?"

It's not like they had a choice.

"Yeah!" they yelled almost in unison.

Everyone parted their ways as nighttime was approaching. This day was long. Way too long. But now they had a plan. And even if the outside world was nothing but ruins, they would still fight.

He went to bed, a new objective in mind. Tomorrow he would train. He would read the notebooks. He would do something. More than he ever did in this game.

They were going to fight Monokuma and finish this, once and for all.

Even if he wasn't fit, even if he never thought about actually fighting Monokuma.

But judging by what Ryoma was capable of, to think they had a chance wasn't that much of a delusion.

He would have to read the notebooks, too. He had put them aside up until now, but they must have valuable information.

... Perhaps that was also a way to honor Tsumugi and Korekiyo.

Even if they lacked the information they had now, they were smart enough to find things on their own.

The end of the killing game was getting closer and closer now.

_Soon, they would finally be free._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you expect? The group to peacefully get out of the killing game? Anyway. The revolution begins, plan B.
> 
> Note: Exams hard. Sorry for the wait.  
> Also judging by how things are for me right now, I would say please expect the update schedule to be every 2 weeks from now on.


	39. Chapter 5: An oath to one's lost humanity - Daily life (part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their mission to escape the academy miserably failed as they realized the outside world is no more... But they are still going to fight for everyone who believed in them.

...

_"I feel like I can't even control my own actions anymore."_

_"Each and every part of my consciousness is screaming at me."_

_"White noise I cannot escape from no matter how much I try."_

_"I'm not... me."_

_"Who or what even am I, then?"_

_..._

_"It hurts."_

_"It hurts so much."_

...

\--

Day 19 since the beginning of the game.

8:00 AM.

The moment the morning announcement rang, Shuichi immediately sat up in his bed, wide awake.

His days were counted. Either they all die in 3 days, or they manage to destroy Monokuma and live the rest of their lives here.

Of course, he likes none of those options, but it's not like he had a choice anymore.

The entire outside world was dead, and they were the only survivors.

Kirumi, Kaito, Miu, Ryoma, Kokichi, Rantaro, and himself.

Seven of them to salvage the legacy of seven billion people.

No matter how many times he repeated that to himself, to accept it was another thing.

He made his usual routine.

The violinist glanced at his vest and tie. Perhaps he could ditch them like he did two days ago.

He opened the door, ready to face what would perhaps be one of the last days of his life.

_That was a terrifying thought._

To his surprise, Miu was already there about to leave, with the black leather jacket Kaito gave her.

"Hey, Miu."

She jumped, turning around. "Oh... It's you."

She looked tired.

"Are... you okay?"

Miu glanced away. "I know I promised that I would fight, but..."

She trailed off. But Shuichi perfectly knew what she wanted to say.

To discover you were fighting for someone who was already dead, your own child of all people…

They all had it hard, but the truth must have been even harder to swallow for Miu.

"... There are no 'but's. I said that I would fight and I will. Rantaro said it himself, right? If I join Kaz that soon in the afterlife… I won’t be able to face him. "

Shuichi felt the same. He said goodbye to his uncle and cousin promising to accomplish his role as one of the salvagers of humanity. He had already accepted the truth once- he had to accept it a second time.

… To think the Gofer project would choose him of all people felt wrong. He was a mere violinist. He understood why people like Rantaro, Ryoma, and Tsumugi were chosen, but why him? What could he even bring to this mission?

Perhaps there was more to this than they thought. They would have to figure this out during the next few days, while Ryoma creates the weapons.

The two walked to the dining hall in silence.

To his surprise, no one was there. Were they truly the first ones awake? Kirumi was usually here early.

Looking at the empty room, Miu slapped her cheeks. "Get yourself together Miu! We have a long day awaiting us!"

"Hey- no need to make a masterpiece of a breakfast, you know? Anything will be f-

"And you. Are going to help me with this!"

… He expected that. Perhaps he could indeed help cooking, for once.

"A-Alright… Lead the way?"

The two headed to the kitchen.

Miu immediately started preparing pancakes. She had asked Shuichi to cut some fruits for juice or for snacks. It was like she already had a thousand ideas.

Looking at her being so focused on preparing breakfast made him smile. But on a closer look… She didn’t seem to feel much better.

Their situation was already a nightmare. They could only cope in whatever ways they could find. And if escaping the dark thoughts their minds could create meant preparing a royal meal for seven people, then so be it.

Not so long after, Kokichi showed up.

" … Hey."

He looked pensive. Not as tired as Miu, but it still looked like he had things lingering on his mind.

Kokichi helped to bring everything on the table as Miu was too focused on the cooking to even notice his presence.

… The tension was already growing. And Shuichi hated it.

He joined the boy with the black hoodie in the dining hall with what he had prepared.

" Have you… slept well?"

_He was the king of the awkward questions, wasn’t he?_

" … Usual nightmares. Nothing new."

Perhaps asking what that was about was unnecessary and unhelpful. He may be growing as a person, but he wouldn’t be surprised if things not related to the game still haunted him.

The street artist joined them soon after with the pancakes.

"Oh, hey Kokichi!" she said with a smile. Shuichi could see she was trying her hardest, but she couldn’t hide the sorrow in her eyes.

They started eating in silence. There wasn’t anything to say- it was like a single word could make them break into tears.

Around five minutes later, the door opened again, revealing Kirumi and Kaito. The mercenary wore the casual look from before. Perhaps she felt like it was not necessary to put the whole uniform back on.

There was tension between the two, probably because of yesterday’s events. The two were furious at the other’s way of thinking, but one was better at holding back than the other.

Not necessarily more forgiving, but more aware of the dangers of a split group during these times.

Only seven survivors against one single enemy… That is, if none of them is a traitor.

He hadn’t thought about this possibility ever since they discovered the outside world. Was Monokuma the true mastermind? Was there someone behind the scenes- behind the door in the library? Or was it someone among them?

No matter how much Shuichi tried to think about it, none of the possibilities made sense. Kiyo had already said so. Everyone showed genuine regret and sadness at some point. Which made everyone an unlikely candidate.

He was so caught up in the collective distrust that he forgot that the theory of a seventeenth person in the academy was not impossible.

… It was easier to think someone else other than the friends he made was the mastermind.

He almost didn’t notice Kirumi sitting next to him.

"H-Hey… Don’t you usually get here earlier ?" he asked.

She took a sip of fruit juice. "I was in my room trying to think about our situation. Nothing much."

He wondered if she meant something else by that.

The rest of the breakfast was eaten in silence. Ryoma and Rantaro hadn’t shown up at all, though.

"Shouldn’t we get Rantaro and Ryoma before deciding what we do today?" Miu suggested.

Shuichi nodded. "Do you think they are still in their rooms? It’s 9:30 AM after all…"

Kirumi took out her monopad. "… They’re in their own labs."

Oh.

"Should I get them?" Shuichi asked. It wasn’t exactly what he wanted, but perhaps he could get a chance to talk to either of them.

"Sure. I don’t know if they would truly come by themselves." Kirumi answered.

The violinist nodded as he made his way to the third floor. Approaching the medic’s lab, he raised a hand to knock but refrained from doing so. Perhaps he could try to hear what he was doing.

He felt bad for eavesdropping, but he could not help it.

...

Slight movement and the sound of bottles clinging. Nothing too serious, hopefully.

He knocked on the door.

There was a moment of silence before he heard more clinging from the bottles. He wondered if he had heard him, but before he could knock a second time, the door opened.

"… Hey there." Rantaro greeted him with the same tired eyes. "I suppose everyone is awake?"

He nodded. "Yes, everyone is in the dining hall aside from you and Ryoma…"

"I know that Ryoma is in his lab. Let’s go. Just give me a second."

Rantaro locked the room, and started making his way to the fifth floor with Shuichi.

… He wishes he had a conversation topic. Or anything.

"Why didn’t you two come to the dining hall anyway? I’ve been here for around an hour and none of you came here… "

He shrugged. "I’ve been awake for a few hours now. Been in my lab ever since. There will be a lot of stuff to prepare to face Monokuma. I want to make sure everything is alright on my side. "

What did ‘a few hours’ mean? Did he mean 7 AM or 4 AM?

With him, to try and guess was impossible.

The two arrived in front of the weapons maker’s lab. Rantaro loudly knocked on the door. Four loud knocks that would surely alert Ryoma from the back of his lab.

Shuichi heard the faint sound of footsteps reaching the door.

…

After a moment of silence, Rantaro sighed. "Open the freaking door already."

Ryoma appeared right after. "… Hey Shuichi."

"We’re waited downstairs." Rantaro bluntly said. 

"Alright. Let me put some things back. I’ll join you soon enough." he said as he closed the door behind him.

The medic didn’t question his attitude and immediately turned back.

… What were even those two’s relationship?

He followed without daring to ask.

He actually thought Rantaro would be harder to get, but he was wrong.

The two entered the dining hall, the others already staring as Rantaro leaned back against the wall. "Ryoma will join us soon. He is arranging some stuff."

None of them questioned him.

Around five minutes later, Ryoma finally joined them.

"Sorry for the wait."

"So? Is there a plan for the next two days?"

Rantaro thought for a moment. "We’re going to have to do two things."

"One is of course to train physically to make sure we’ll be able to fight. I know two days is not a lot, but it’s better than nothing. "

"The other is to discover the last secrets of this entire bullshit. So here’s what we’re going to do."

He turned to Ryoma. "Your role is simple and you already know it. You’ll have to create the necessary weapons for us to use on the final day."

Next up was Kirumi. "You’re the strongest element out of all of us. So I would say you should train however you can. Mostly when it comes to aiming."

He turned to the others. "Right now, your priority is to both train and figure out the rest using Tsumugi’s notebook and everything we know."

"As for me, I’ll prepare all the necessary medical staff in case things go wrong the final day and I’ll see if I can do anything else with medical products."

"If you have any other suggestions and ideas for the plan, please tell me."

That was clear enough. They would have to do all their theories in Tsumugi’s lab. Perhaps that could also be a way to honor her and the time she spent trying to discover the truth of the game.

"Hold on, can’t Kirumi coach us for the training?"

Shuichi almost jumped.

The mercenary stayed silent for a moment. "… You do realize I am not a sports coach, right? I doubt any of you could replicate what I used to do back then."

… He didn’t even want to know what kind of training she did.

Besides, her training would probably be even harsher for them since she at least has the ability not to feel pain.

"I can try to give you examples of exercises you could do but you should not count on me to directly help you with this."

"You don’t necessarily need to become an athlete in two days. But you’ll have to train on speed, endurance, and strength. That’s what we’re going to need." Rantaro explained. "Kirumi is a bit of an exception since she already excels in those fields."

Shuichi nodded.

"Any questions?"

… No one answered.

"Good. Then let’s not waste any more time. We got two and a half days to act. Reunion at 12 PM here. Got it ?"

He nodded.

The group of four went outside.

"... How do we even train?" Miu asked.

Shuichi had no idea what to do. He was physically weak, and probably the one who needed training the most.

Before they could think about a solution, the door to the main entrance opened to reveal Kirumi.

"Hey! Kirumi! We need your help!" Miu waved at her.

The mercenary raised an eyebrow as she approached them. "I suppose this is about your training?"

"Do you have any ideas on how we could proceed? I mean I understand you can't exactly be our coach but surely you should know about what we could do, right?" Shuichi asked.

She thought for a moment.

"According to Rantaro, we're going to have to face the exisals with the weapons and not die. So endurance, strength, and speed are key. So what I would suggest is that each of you specializes in a field."

She glanced at the group. "It's pretty clear that some of you will not be able to be an expert in every field. Kaito has a prosthetic leg and thus cannot run full speed, Kokichi looks way too scrawny to hold heavy weapons... You should get the idea."

As much as he hated it, she was right.

"So what I would suggest is that you should train your endurance based on what you're better at. Kokichi could train on being able to run for a long time since he is already fast from what I've heard, for example."

Shuichi frowned. "What about me? I'm neither fast nor strong..."

She looked at him for a moment. "... Try to get better at both."

... What did he even expect?

"I am guessing Ryoma is going to create several types of weapons, from light ones to heavy ones. So if I had to suggest types of training based on your physical abilities, Kokichi should work on his speed and endurance, Kaito and Miu on their raw strength and mobility, as for you Shuichi, I would say both strength and speed. But of course, those are only suggestions based on what I have heard and seen from you."

She started walking away. "The warehouse may have the equipment to help you. If you need me, I will be in Tenko's lab."

Strength and speed... He wished he didn't hate PE that much.

Kaito and Miu left to get to the warehouse, leaving Shuichi and Kokichi alone.

"... You said you can't run, right?"

"Not at all."

He hummed. "Try to train your endurance. Running faster is nothing if you can't maintain a regular running speed for at least twenty minutes."

Shuichi almost choked on his own saliva. "Twenty minutes!?"

He blinked. "... Is there a problem with that?"

"T-That's so long! You can actually run full speed for more than at least five minutes?"

Kokichi looked genuinely confused. "... You want a demonstration?"

"Wait-"

"Catch me if you can!"

The smaller boy started running away.

"H-Hey! No fair!"

Shuichi ran after him, but he was way slower.

The training continued for quite some time. Shuichi trained on his endurance, as Kokichi told him to do. The violinist felt bad that Kokichi wasn't able to train much because of him, but he reassured him that it was fine, he had still gotten some of his endurance and speed back.

Once the training session done, they came across Miu, Kaito, and Kirumi. They were ready to go to Tsumugi's lab to think about their theories.

The group headed to the fourth floor.

In the prodigy’s lab, they placed the blackboards in front of the tables so they could take clear notes of the theories.

"Shuichi, you got Tsumugi’s notes?" Kaito asked.

"Yeah, she kept track of everything we learned with the flashback lights… Should we go back to the very beginning?"

Miu hummed. "Maybe try to get to the flashback light we got after the third trial? That must be where the most accurate theories are."

Shuichi nodded as he opened the notebook. After some reading, he finally got the page. "Here! Let’s see…"

_-_

_I remembered._

_The meteorites and the fatalists claiming we deserve damnation._

_This is getting stranger and stranger, but I know I have to figure out the truth. I already said I would not suggest any theories until I’m at least 95% sure of their accuracy. I just hope I’ll still be alive by the time I discover the truth. This game keeps going on and on, to be honest, I am really not sure whether or not I’ll be next. I should probably isolate myself for now and accept no one’s company. That way I’ll have more time to work on both my suspicions about Keebo’s cause of death and the truth of our situation._

_For now, I should focus on our situation since I just recovered new memories._

_-_

"She already knew she was in danger..." Miu muttered. "That's why she didn't want to be with anyone during the motive."

Kaito slowly nodded. "I mean... We would have suspected anyone who was with her though."

"But she didn't want to take any kind of risks. And that's why Kiyo considered her suspicious." Kirumi added.

He hated this. Both of the reactions were understandable, but the fact that Monokuma- or whoever was behind this used it to their advantage made him sick.

-

_The meteorites are probably the biggest hint we have. There must have been a lapse of time between the moment the ultimate hunt supposedly ended because of our capture and now. Probably enough for the meteorites to impact Earth._

_If it did happen, then there are several possibilities- some that I already suggested to the others since they asked for my opinion on the matter._

_Whatever this academy is, this is clearly not the Earth's surface. The sky wouldn’t be so blue, the air wouldn’t be breathable, etc._

_What makes me worried is the lack of weather. Not once did we get weather other than sunny. Which makes me think the sky is fake. Probably screens to imitate the sky, but those are no real clouds._

_I tried to stargaze once and did not see any anomaly. It really felt like a normal sky on Earth. The technology used must be extremely developed because I am 100% sure this is no normal sky._

_Which brings me to the theories about our whereabouts._

_Either we are in an underground facility. But things feel wrong. I know there must be machines able to regulate the pressure, but for trees to grow that much? There’s no way nature would be able to live that easily here, even with machines to regulate the atmosphere._

_Which means we are not underground, but not on Earth's surface either._

_Where the hell are we??_

_The only other option I can think of is that we are not on Earth anymore, but on another planet._

_Which... Doesn't sound as unbelievable as it looks like._

_-_

"We already know we're on Earth right now, don't we?" Kaito noted. "We don't know where exactly, but we know that."

"Does that mean we can skip that part?" Kokichi asked.

Shuichi shook his head. "We should still read all the notes. I don't want to skip any details."

"Agreed."

-

_I partially worked on the Gofer project, although my memories are very fuzzy. I remember plans for some kind of ship, although I do not know what it was for. But now my theory is that we are on this spaceship, somewhere in the depths of the universe._

_I wish Himiko's lab was opened. She was an astronomer, surely there would be a telescope or something to look at the sky. And even if there wasn't, that would confirm the theory that we are indeed underground._

_... She must have been a genius, to be considered an ultimate. I wish I could have talked more to her. Even with her happy-go-lucky attitude and her... cruel naivete... I'm sure she must have been living up to her title as an ultimate._

_..._

_I'm getting sidetracked here. Now is not the time to get emotional._

_-_

... Silence.

The others looked at the violinist with sadness.

"She was... pretending not to be affected by others' deaths?" Miu stuttered.

Kokichi had his arms crossed on his knees, head inside them but still looking at the others. "It's natural. When you're in a dangerous environment, you have to pretend to be indifferent not to be the prey. That's what she must have felt."

"To pretend to be weak when you are actually strong, and to pretend to be strong when you are actually weak."

For a moment, Shuichi forgot about Kokichi's harsh past. He did have to stay strong where he was, and that fear was not allowed.

Tsumugi must have also known the strategies to adopt, but she didn't take into account people who would try to analyze her.

Miu came to Kokichi's side. "Hey... If you need someone, we're all here, alright?"

He nodded. "I know, I just..."

He trailed off.

"... I miss her."

No one knew what to say. They all missed their friends. Just three days ago they had lost Tsumugi and Korekiyo, the main actors in the morbid theater that was the Ultimate academy of gifted juveniles, during the fourth act of this miserable puppet show. 

...

"In two days this nightmare will be over."

Miu spoke.

"I... I have faith in us all. We'll end this nightmare together. We're going to destroy Monokuma and... and everything will be over."

Her voice was low. But it was clear she meant those words.

"Then we'll just... live like one big family of seven."

That sounded nice... But wouldn't they still need to deal with the mastermind? Someone was behind the entire thing after all. Someone must be controlling Monokuma.

...

Perhaps to live in a lie wasn't as bad as he thought. Perhaps it was less tiring to believe Monokuma was the villain of the story.

Was it wrong to believe? Was it wrong to deny the possibility one of them was a traitor?

Shuichi was tired of this.

He was tired of everything.

"To live the rest of our lives in this academy alone..." Kaito dryly chuckled. "Not what I had in mind when the killing game started, but... We don't have a choice, do we?"

They didn't.

...

"... We must not claim victory too fast."

Kirumi's voice broke the silence.

"Rantaro and Ryoma are already preparing what's necessary for the fight, but we also have our part to do, which is to find out the entire deal with this academy, and why we were put into a killing game in the first place."

Shuichi looked at her, pensively.

"I know, but- look at us... If one of us really was a traitor, wouldn't they have done something? I know... I know someone manipulated Kiyo into killing Tsumugi, but... None of us actually refused to cooperate, and besides..." Miu explained.

_"Didn't Kiyo say we all showed genuine signs of regret at some point?" Doesn't that mean they're not one of us?"_

Shuichi perked up. Kiyo was a therapist, he knew how to read people. And if Tsumugi, the one he suspected the most, wasn't the mastermind, then...

Was it safe to say none of them were?

Kirumi paused.

"... I'm still doubtful. We do not know what Monokuma and whoever is behind this is capable of. To lower our guard is a mistake that would cost all of our lives."

It felt surprising that Kirumi was the one to encourage them to keep going the way they were.

But remembering the discussion they had the previous day, it actually wasn't.

She trusted her instincts as a mercenary, and they told her not to trust anyone. And to do whatever it takes to stay alive.

But he hated thinking about the possibility someone among them was that much of an actor not to be found out by the ultimate therapist himself.

...

He wanted to escape those thoughts, but he didn't have a choice.

Sensing the uneasiness, Shuichi reopened the notebook. "Perhaps we should continue reading...? We'll get more hints this way, I think..."

They stared at each other for a moment.

"... Agreed."

He took a deep breath and continued.

_-_

_I do not actually know if we are lost in the depths of the universe, but if we are, then we are probably older than we first thought, because if I recall correctly, the closest candidate to be a habitable planet is at least 4 light-years away from our sun. So if we assume..._

_..._

_Nothing makes any sense. Any theory I try to make gets obliterated by every single detail I can think of. It's easy to handle theories being rejected in the science field, but here? There aren't a billion solutions. I just have to guess where we are._

_Where. The hell. Are we???_

_I'm going to stick with the underground theory for now. It's the easiest to apprehend and the most plausible, even though I don't believe it for one second. However, if Himiko's lab opens and she indeed had a functioning telescope, then I am out of ideas._

_I hope I get to recover other memories. Just a few more hints. And maybe I'll be able to apprehend the picture in its entirety._

-

"She never got to see the truth..." Shuichi muttered.

...

"... I'm definitely obliterating that bear." Kaito bluntly said, standing up. "I'm just fucking done."

"I hope you are not seriously thinking about confronting him right now." Kirumi eyed him.

"Of course not! I'm not that fucking stupid!" he exclaimed. "Do you seriously think I would go and confront him when I'm probably the least able person here??"

"I do not exactly know what is going on in that head of yours. I am simply making sure no one makes irrational decisions."

"I know I was dumb enough to think my maintenance killed Keebo and I know I'm not the smartest one here, but do you realize that maybe, just _maybe_ I have some common sense?"

Kirumi pinched the bridge of her nose. "That's not what I was saying."

"Then-

_"ENOUGH!!"_

Miu slammed her hands on the table, startling everyone.

"Is that too much to ask for you two not to bicker for five minutes??"

...

Silence. The street artist stared at the two for a moment.

"Kirumi... I know you're worried about someone making the wrong move but... Have faith in Kaito, please. I've known him for long enough to know he will not provoke Monokuma for absolutely no reason."

"And Kaito, I know you're mad, we all are but... We're going to fight Monokuma in two days, once we're ready. If we keep saying we're mad, we _will_ make an irrational decision without wanting it. Also, I know you don't trust Kirumi and I know I can't change your mind, but even if you can't trust her..."

She arbored a weak smile.

"... At least trust me, okay?"

He looked at her for a moment. "... Okay."

Kirumi didn't seem to react to Miu's remark. Which wasn't surprising.

"Um... Guys..."

They turned to Kokichi.

"It's 12 PM... Perhaps we should go back to the dining hall?"

Rantaro must be waiting for them. And perhaps taking a break would help.

They walked back to the dining hall in silence.

Shuichi prayed that things would not go wilder this afternoon, and possibly for the next two days.

When they entered the room, no one was there.

"Huh? He's not here yet?" Miu asked.

"Sorry, I had to take care of something."

Rantaro's voice was heard from behind.

"But I'm here as promised."

The group didn't bother making a royal meal, as Shuichi expected. They couldn't waste any more time than necessary.

Since they hadn't discovered much, the discussion was rather short.

Ryoma didn't join them since he was too focused on his work.

Rantaro directly went back to his lab, leaving the rest of the group to themselves.

"What about now? Do we do the training or the theory first?" Miu asked the group.

"Theory. Training right after eating is not a brilliant idea, mind you."

Fair.

They went back to the fourth floor.

Shuichi took back the notebook to see where they had stopped.

-

_About the fatalists claiming humanity deserved damnation, things are both more confusing and easier to apprehend._

_I did not follow the news that much during the time I was working with the scientists. I just knew some people wanted to take down the project because we all deserved to die. Of course, the labs were secured so we didn't have to worry about being attacked._

_To be honest, they felt like some kind of cult to me. People mindlessly claiming none of us should live, that none of us deserved to be redeemed and that humans should all die from the meteorites... This feels ridiculous. Although I do not recall anyone to be the leader of the group... from what I remember._

_And of course, our memories are locked away by Monokuma. Which makes me wonder if he has anything to do with it._

-

"Monokuma having something to do with those people? I mean I wouldn't be surprised at this point but still..." Kaito raised an eyebrow.

"I mean, there were a lot of them if I recall correctly so perhaps some of them managed to build Monokuma." Miu added.

"But there is a difference between resenting humanity and organize an entire killing game." Kirumi countered. "If they had the technology to build such a developed machine, then surely they must have been a bigger deal than we first thought."

Those misanthropes are willing to go to such extremes...?

"But they wanted to see us die! Why bother making a killing game when they could just kill us?" Shuichi's eyes widened, only realizing what he just said. "Do you think... That's what happened with the ultimate hunt...?"

"In that case, Monokuma and those... 'cultists' as Tsumugi called them are not related." Kirumi replied.

"Then we're back to the start aren't we?" Kokichi muttered.

Shuichi sighed. "Pretty much... Perhaps Tsumugi wrote more about this."

-

_In the best case, this was more of a nihilistic ideology rising from the years people spent in the harsh world that is the human world, and this is just the melancholy, anger, and madness awakening in people's hearts- and uniting because of social media._

_In the worst case, there is someone behind it all. Someone who awakened people's madness. Someone with such a hatred for humanity that they managed to control the people's negative thoughts for their twisted intentions._

_Now either this person existed and I don't remember it, or this person could have done the deed from behind the curtains, quiet enough not to be known by anyone. And to be honest... That might be the case._

-

"So the leader of the cult and Monokuma are on the same side?" Miu asked.

"It looks like it..." Shuichi re-read the sentence. "To take advantage of people's madness... That's exactly what someone organizing a killing game would do... And did to us. During the previous motive."

That meant that there was indeed a mastermind and that Monokuma was controlled by someone- the manipulator behind humanity's despair, and their despair.

"So we have our mastermind, but that does not confirm that one of us is a traitor. It could be, but it could also not be." Kirumi noted.

"Then they must be hiding in the room behind the library!" Kokichi exclaimed. "The one we never managed to open..."

"And the one we will break open in two days." Miu added. "Let's be patient, the time will come soon enough."

They looked back at Shuichi so he could continue reading.

-

_The more I think about it, the more it becomes clear in my mind- if of course, I do not find any contradictions._

_This person manipulated people into rising up against humanity and the Gofer Project to gain the attention of everyone- fatalists or not. Of course, the ones working on the project had to take care of them, but if the leader's true goal was to exterminate the remnants of humanity, then they would want to make sure their goal is achieved. With the people in the spotlight, no one would try to find who is behind it._

_And with less attention on them, they had time to prepare a disguise and infiltrate us._

_The leader of this group is the mastermind of the killing game themselves._

_Now of course if that person was a normal human being, they would have had years of experience, to be able to manipulate people like that. Which is why I'm almost sure this person was an Ultimate just like the rest of us, and thus how they managed to infiltrate the project._

_I do not know if they had accomplices already working on the project, but one thing is certain, it's that the person who made people rise up against humanity itself and the one making us all kill each other are one and the same._

-

"The mastermind is an ultimate?" Kokichi asked. "Hold on... Does that mean they are as old as us?"

"What does 'an ultimate' even mean?" Miu added.

"If 'ultimate' means they have an ultimate talent, then that does not necessarily mean they are a highschooler like us." Kirumi explained. "That simply means they are the best in their field, I think. Although I wouldn't say we are up against a kid. I would say they are either as old as us, or older."

"I mean, I doubt a kid would be able to control humanity itself... Even less thinking about creating a killing game." Shuichi continued.

"Ugh... I don't even want to think about the possibility of a child being the root of all of our problems." Kaito groaned.

"But if they managed to infiltrate the project... That does mean they were not supposed to be here, right?" the violinist asked.

Miu raised an eyebrow. "Your point being...?"

"We learned yesterday that we were supposed to be the chosen ones to salvage humanity, that means the mastermind is not on the list!"

Kokichi blinked. "What... do you mean?"

"Think about it. The ultimate hunt talked about 16 people... If this was about us fleeing from everyone including the fatalists, then none of us are actually the traitor!"

Kirumi hummed. "I'm inclined to say your theory is correct, but I would rather stay on guard if you do not mind me."

Nothing would convince her, then. Not that surprising, actually.

"But still... It does give hope about that." Kokichi said. "And if I may add..."

_"I find it odd that the mastermind never got a taste of karma."_

That was... A good point actually.

Kokichi's karma had been proven very effective against the killers, in insignificant situations and of course- how he was shaped into the person he is today.

Why would the mastermind be an exception?

Could it be because they are far enough not to be affected?

"That's... strange." he said. "How does your karma affect people?"

"I don't know the full mechanism... But I know that the more I approach people, the more likely they will be affected by karma. And considering how much I've frequented you all... I find it odd that there wasn't any kind of signs of extreme unluckiness. And with everything they've done to us, they should have paid a terrifying price."

"So you're saying that there's a possibility the mastermind is not among us, but rather somewhere your karma vibes can't reach?" Kaito asked.

"Karma vibes?!"

"Well, do you have a name for that?"

"N-No... But anyway, that's what I think, yes."

By taking Kokichi's talent into account... Thinking that the mastermind was someone else wasn't that much of an idealistic lie. Perhaps it was indeed the truth.

"Should I continue reading?" Shuichi asked.

"Sure. We will not lose anything by doing so."

-

_Unfortunately, my ability to read people is quite limited, so my only solution is to do what I know best. Elaborating theories and see if they work. I will study Keebo's death and see if I can get info out of it._

_Whether humanity deserved to die or not, I do not care in the slightest. We did awful things over history. Genocides, wars, climate changes, we completely destroyed the natural cycle of life, and we harm others for no other reason than our own pleasure._

_But what I do know is that I have to find out the truth. I was chosen to work on the project, and if this academy is truly the result of it, then it is my job to end this madness that was never supposed to come to life._

-

"Tsumugi truly was determined to help for the project..." he muttered.

"Is there more to it?" Kirumi asked.

"From the last flashback light, no. The rest is about Keebo's death."

They stayed silent for a moment.

"I mean... We did learn a lot, right?" Miu noted.

They did. And now Shuichi had more hope. More hope that he could count on all of them.

And that after the fight and after apprehending the mastermind, he could live with the six others like they promised to do when they entered the ship.

...

What would they even do of the mastermind? Would they kill them? Would they lock them up for the rest of their life?

He would think about this later. Right now they needed to train.

He turned to the others, but realized Kokichi looked... upset.

"Is something wrong, Kokichi?"

He didn't move.

"Do you think... This entire situation is my fault?"

Miu perked up. "What? Of course not! You're not the mastermind, are you?"

"No, it's just... Tsumugi is right. We as humans did horrible things. What if... What if the meteorites are just a karma strike? What if the end of the world is truly... My fault?"

"It's not." Miu approached him. "And I won't let anyone say otherwise, including you. Look- you just said that your karma touches whoever approached you too much. Do you really think you could have caused atrocities on such a large scale?"

"N-No, but-

"There are no 'but's'. I... I know nothing about the 'why', it may have been just bad luck for us all. I don't think I'll ever be able to apprehend the secrets of the universe, but I know it's not your fault- and I want you to understand that. Okay?"

Silence. Kokichi just stared at Miu for a moment.

"... O-Okay."

She smiled at him. "Now let's get to training! We've done enough thinking for today!"

Did she just... Did Miu just take the lead?

Shuichi smiled at the thought.

"How do we organize ourselves this time?"

"Kokichi and I will run! And you guys do what you want to do."

That was quick.

"Then I will continue my specialized training if you two do not mind." Kirumi declared.

"It's fine, Shuichi and I will train the strength!" He eyed him. "Right?"

He was not prepared. What if Kaito had even greater strength than he first thought? After all, Kokichi was way faster than he imagined. Was it the same for him?

The groups separated, Kaito guiding him to the warehouse where he and Miu had left their equipment this morning.

"Damn. Never thought Miu would be the leader. She is a totally different person from what I imagined her to be back before the game." Kaito said.

"I mean, it's not a bad thing, right?"

"Of course not! I mean... Rantaro is doing a good job although things are uh... How do I put it..." he trailed off. "... I would say that right now Miu is better at motivating us."

He understood the feeling more than anyone. "I see what you mean..."

"But hey! Now's not the time to chat! Show me what you got!"

"I'm not ready for this!"

...

The two trained on their strength for a while. Shuichi really didn't have any muscles, to Kaito's dismay. But he was still doing his best.

"Can we... Can we take a break?" the violinist said between breaths.

"Alright, alright. Here, have some water."

He almost drank the entire bottle.

"Thanks..."

He sighed. "No problem, man."

Shuichi thought for a moment. "I've been thinking... How exactly are we going to fight the exisals? I mean there will be weaponry for us but how will we approach them?"

"Not a clue. To think we're going to take down those mechas, five of them... That sounds insane. But it's nothing compared to what happened to this world."

He was right.

The biker groaned. "If only we just had to take down Monokuma and his weird kid, that would be so much easier but noooo, we have to fight the giant mechas. It's a pain in the ass, I swear. Especially for me."

To destroy the exisals was going to be hard.

It could have been fine if they had access to them and maybe do something, but the room was locked by a 50 numbers long code.

"You know... What if we find a way to get in and pilot the exisals?"

Shuichi stared at him. "You want to... pilot the exisals?"

"There are seven of us! We can easily take all five!"

"None of us know how to pilot these!"

"Fine, then I'll do it myself!" he stood up. "I wanna pilot this thing! I know how to ride a bike perfectly, surely mechas will be easy for me!"

"I don't think piloting bikes and exisals are the same thing, though..."

He grinned. "We don't know unless we try! If we find a way to enter, then I'm piloting one to destroy the others! Sounds great, right?"

Shuichi couldn't help but stare dumbfounded at him.

He sighed. "We... don't know the code to enter, though... I mean we could try to type the code but there's no way we would..." he trailed off.

No way they would get it right...

...

_That's it!_

_This could work!_

"I have an idea!" He suddenly stood up.

"Woah there! What's the deal?" he blinked.

"I know how to open the door!"

Kaito frowned. "Wait, what??"

"We're going to need to open the exisals to sabotage them, but I know how to enter!"

"Huh?? How? You guys said there's a long-ass code to enter and you couldn't even try to remember it!"

"I know but... this could work."

"What could work?"

He chuckled. "You'll see in due time. But right now I should ask Ryoma to create weapons to open the exisals."

Kaito stared at him. "... Dude, you're scaring me."

"Just trust me on this, alright?"

"... Right. Your method better work! Don't give me fake hopes!"

The two separated, Kaito heading to the dining hall.

Shuichi made his way to the fifth floor.

He arrived in front of the weapons maker’s lab and knocked.

…

No response.

He knocked a second time, louder this time.

… He was in his lab, right?

He checked the monopad and Ryoma’s icon was indeed here.

A wave of worry hit him.

What if… he was…

He tried to open the door, but it was locked.

"No… Nonononono…"

He ran as fast as he could to alert the others. Surely he wouldn’t be dead, right? _Right??_

As Shuichi reached the third floor, he looked at the corridor towards the medic’s lab.

He ran to the door, but before he could knock, he heard some noise inside.

_And perhaps more terrifying than the absence of response from Ryoma back there._

…

"S-Shut up… I’m… I will do it I have to I have to I have to I have…"

…

Rantaro was breathing heavily between his words.

"That’s… That’s what I was made for- shut up I- I can’t afford to fail they- they cannot-"

"I can’t- I can’t afford to- stop I-"

"Shut up… Shut up shut up shut up shut up shut… shut up…"

…

Shuichi was frozen in place. He couldn’t even bring himself to move.

"I have to do it. For- I- I made too many mistakes I can’t let them- I can’t-"

"I should just- that’s the only thing I can do that’s… the only thing I live for- That’s my reason to live-"

"That’s… my…"

…

The breaths were getting louder and shakier. Shuichi could hear faint choked sobs from where he was standing.

But the moment he finally reached the handle, a particular noise made his blood run cold.

A groan of pain, and then slower, shaky deep breaths.

Shuichi didn’t know if coming in was a good idea. At the same time, Rantaro probably wouldn’t like to be seen like this, but he needed someone more than anything else, right now. However…

_He was absolutely terrified. Ever since that day, ever since that incident- he had always been terrified of facing Rantaro. Especially alone._

…

He doesn’t know how much time he spent in front of the door, unmoving. Unable to make a decision.

To leave Rantaro to deal with this alone, or to face his fears and enter the room.

He took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

The violinist didn’t wait for a response and immediately opened. He knew he would immediately regret this, but right now was not about him. It was about Rantaro.

He took a step in the room and his eyes landed on the medic, sitting on the floor, back against the wall with wet, red eyes.

"… Shuichi?"

The violinist hesitantly approached him, putting a knee down next to him. "Are you… okay?"

He slowly nodded between breaths. "Yeah… What exactly did you want?"

"Hold on, at least let me-

"You came here for a reason, right? How can I help you?"

…

Silence.

"Look… I get the concern but I’ll be fine enough on my own. You needed me for something, so what is it?"

"… You need some rest."

"I know. But right now is not the time. I have medical supplies to prepare and you visibly need my help for something. I can’t rest as long as I have these tasks to do. »

… He couldn’t win, could he?

"At least… Let me help you get up."

He hesitantly approached an arm to his shoulder but stopped before he could touch him. "Is it okay if I… ?"

The medic nodded.

Shuichi wrapped an arm around his shoulder to help him get up.

Once on his feet, Rantaro rubbed his eyes. "So? What was it?"

It felt wrong to respond. Right now was probably the worst time to tell him this, but he needed to. His worry for the engineer hadn’t died down. "It’s Ryoma… Kaito had an idea for something he could make for us to use before the final day but when I knocked on the door several times he didn’t respond…"

He stayed silent for a moment. "What was the idea? Besides I told you guys to tell me if you had anything to do. I want to make sure everything is planned in advance."

He felt his heart skip a beat. "S-Sorry…"

"It’s fine, just tell me."

"Basically… Something to allow us to open the exisals in the hangar. I know how we could open the door by ourselves and we could take care of the exisals before Monokuma and Monodam can use them."

Rantaro hummed. "I see."

He suddenly raised an eyebrow. "Hold on, a way to crack the…" He paused. "… I hope the idea you have is the same as what I just thought about. In that case... Go ahead."

Shuichi smiled.

"I’ll tell Ryoma. It’s normal he didn’t open to you. I’ll take care of it, don’t worry."

A reason why Ryoma would open to Rantaro, but not him…? He really hoped he wasn’t lying.

The two left the lab. However, Shuichi could not help but notice the empty needle peeking from behind a shelf before stepping out.

"You can get back to the others. I have to talk to Ryoma in private anyway."

… Sometimes he really wished he knew what Rantaro was thinking.

"Alright."

The medic left. He was truly a mystery and someone Shuichi could not even begin to understand.

It was stupid, wasn't it? To be afraid of someone who didn't even do anything.

And yet, every time he came into view, he could feel chills in his spine and his heart racing in his chest. An irrational fear would take over him, pleading him to run away, far away from the source of this unending torment.

... He was pathetic, wasn't he?

He let go of Rantaro when he was in a terrible state mere minutes ago.

Unfortunately for Shuichi, Rantaro had locked the door of the lab behind him, so he couldn’t investigate what that was all about.

He would have to start a full investigation on him, wouldn’t he?

After all, those two days could be the last for humanity itself. A bit more research wouldn’t hurt.

He knew Rantaro was hiding a lot more than he let know. Perhaps he could try and eavesdrop on their conversation.

…

Shuichi went to the staircase. But the moment he took the first step, he spotted a piece of paper.

He approached and unfolded it.

-.. --- / -.-- --- ..- / - .... .. -. -.- / --- -. . / -.. .- -.-- / .. ... / . -. --- ..- --. .... / ..-. --- .-. / -.-- --- ..- / - --- / .--. .-. . .--. .- .-. . / .- .-.. .-.. / --- ..-. / - .... .. ... ..--..

~

.. - / .. ... / -- --- .-. . / - .... .- -. / . -. --- ..- --. .... / ..-. --- .-. / -- . .-.-.- / -.. --- / -. --- - / .-- --- .-. .-. -.-- .-.-.-

… The morse code. Rantaro must have dropped the paper. Was he truly the author of these?

He had been passive for long enough.

Shuichi put the paper into his pocket. He didn’t know morse code, but perhaps there was a way to learn it somewhere.

_… Tsumugi’s lab._

It was full of books surrounding knowledge. Surely there were some about that here.

However, he would have to check out later if he didn’t want to look suspicious. Nighttime would be best.

He made his way back to the first floor- to the dining hall.

"Took you long enough!" Miu exclaimed. "What happened?"

… They were already panicking enough. They didn’t need to know the full story.

"Oh, Ryoma took time to respond and I had to get Rantaro for the idea as well… Nothing much."

"Oh yeah! I completely forgot he asked us to do that!" Kaito said.

They bought it. Good.

"So? Did Rantaro approve of the idea ?" the street artist asked.

He nodded. "Yeah, I hope it will be done by tomorrow."

She frowned. "We don't even know what that's all about! How on Earth can you open the door?"

He giggled. "That’s a secret. I’m not 100% sure it will work, but it can."

"All of that for a method that will probably not work?"

Shuichi pouted. "Even Rantaro approves my idea! I can at least try!"

Miu raised an eyebrow. "Hold on, you told Rantaro?"

He paused. "Not really, he guessed what I wanted to do… somehow."

… That sounded way too suspicious, now that he thought about it.

"Riiiiight…" Kaito narrowed his eyes.

Miu sighed. "I really hope you’re not up to something dangerous."

"Please trust me on this."

He knows he wouldn’t be able to reassure them much, but that was the most he could do, for now.

The three started preparing dinner.

They would have to wait for the four others to show up.

Apparently, Kirumi was training with Kokichi on their endurance.

As if on cue, the door opened to reveal the two.

Kokichi was panting, and Kirumi was better at hiding her exhaustion.

"How was training?" Miu asked.

"It was… great…" Kokichi said between breaths.

"I’m surprised he has that much stamina." Kirumi explained. "He might be very efficient the final day."

"T-Thanks…"

Miu smiled. "Come on, you two should take a break."

Kokichi sat down to breathe. Kirumi did the same but was less exhausted.

Some time after, the door opened again to reveal Rantaro.

The medic headed towards the kitchen where the trio was.

"Oh- hey!" Miu called him.

Shuichi turned around to see that he seemed to have calmed down since earlier. He had a thermostat in hand and approached the sink to clean the object.

"How is everything?"

"Training’s good, we’re studying the notebooks… Overall we’re fine? I think." the street artist replied.

He nodded. "Good, then."

Kokichi entered the kitchen as the four were doing their own thing.

"What are you guys preparing ?" he asked.

"For tonight it’s my special curry! Hope you’ll like it!" Miu exclaimed cheerfully.

Kokichi hummed. "That sounds good… I can’t wait to try it."

Rantaro weakly smiled. "It’s Miu’s cooking. I don’t think we should doubt her."

The young woman visibly blushed. "T-Thanks…"

The medic took the now clean thermostat. "Don’t mention it. I’ll be right back, just putting this back into my lab."

"Okay!"

He left.

Shuichi unconsciously let out a sigh.

_Hold on, why would he keep an empty thermostat in his lab?_

He shook his head. To start questioning every single one of his actions wouldn't do any good.

Once dinner was ready, they set the table- Rantaro joining them back soon after.

"Where is Ryoma?" Shuichi frowned.

"Ryoma will not join us." the medic explained. "Basically it’s to lessen the risks we take. If Ryoma leaves his lab, there’s a possibility Monokuma will find a way to enter and destroy all the efforts we’ll have made up until now. So he is currently locked up in his lab and will not go out until the last day. That’s what he did for the weapons for the death road of despair."

… Oh.

"Don’t worry, he has enough food and water to take care of himself until the time limit."

"Hold on, what about the tools we asked for?" Kaito asked. "We’ll have to fetch them at some point, right?"

"I’ll take care of it, do not worry. They should be ready tomorrow."

They started eating, explaining what they had found out during the afternoon thanks to Tsumugi’s notes and the flashback lights.

The situation was becoming clearer. The only thing they didn’t know was who was actually behind this entire killing- if it was a traitor or another person who infiltrated the project.

They had been training the whole day, discovering the secrets of their situation, and yet… No one had tried to stop them.

No one had made something counterproductive, no one was trying to destroy their efforts… They had only considered the possibility that Monokuma would give them a hard time if they were not careful enough.

Shuichi was considering less and less the possibility that a traitor was among them.

And perhaps… that was for the best.

Once they were done, everyone parted their ways.

Shuichi lied, explaining he wanted to go to his lab to relax a little, but in reality, he was heading to Tsumugi’s lab.

And hopefully, decrypt the message Rantaro had left behind.

He opened the door to the prodigy's lab. They had taken their notes and theories to their rooms in case Monokuma tried anything.

The amount of books was impressive. Surely there was some kind of morse code guide in here.

After finding a guide on how the lab worked and searching through many books, he finally stumbled upon one that caught his attention.

_A guide on the military._

... Perhaps that was what he was looking for.

He sat on the ground, skimmed through the pages until he finally reached the one he was looking for.

A morse code translator.

Perhaps taking the whole book was a bad idea. He took a paper and a pen from the tables and started rewriting the guide for himself, carefully writing the lines and dots not to mistake one letter for another.

Now he could finally translate the message. Even though there were other messages he had came across that he wouldn't be able to translate now, at least he could with this one.

He carefully put everything back in place to make sure no one would notice his stay here.

Shuichi went back to his room as if nothing happened.

After studying the guide, he finally translated the message.

_Do you think one day is enough for you to prepare all of this?_

_~_

_It is more than enough for me. Do not worry._

A dialogue. If Rantaro had the paper in his pocket, that must mean he was one of the speakers. But was he the first or the second?

If he was in his lab, then perhaps that was to write the message. In that case, someone asked him to do something. But that would mean someone _else_ knew morse code.

Could it be Ryoma? After all, Rantaro did say he wanted to talk to him privately. But what would Ryoma even want to ask Rantaro? If anything, the opposite would be more logical.

After all, Shuichi did ask him to tell Ryoma to make weapons to open the exisals. But something didn't add up.

He didn't have time to write anything between the moment he suggested the idea and the moment he found the paper.

Which meant that was not it.

...

Could it be that he was talking to someone else entirely?

Could it be a seventeenth person?

_Could it be Monokuma himself?_

He shook his head.

He may have had the paper and message, but he didn't understand anything about it. He didn't know enough to reach a conclusion.

...

He would have to put the paper back where it was if he didn't want to look suspicious.

Perhaps if the paper does reach its destination, he would get more hints about it.

Right now would be the best.

Shuichi made his way to the staircase towards the fourth floor, where he put the paper on the side, folded back how it originally was.

Hopefully, he wouldn't get in trouble.

Especially with Rantaro.

Once back in his room, he let out a sigh.

He was too tired to deal with anything anymore. This situation was becoming more horrible to live through than the Sanzu garden.

The violinist went to bed, a morse code guide packed in his pajama pants.

...

_Two days left before the time limit._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Majora mask vibes anyone?
> 
> Also when I said "Also from now I'll take longer doing the chapters because going back to college (and not hoping for a 2nd quarantine)" I did NOT mean it as a challenge.


	40. Chapter 5: An oath to one's lost humanity - Daily life (part 4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group is preparing to face Monokuma, his remaining cub, and the exisals. They learn more about their situation, but some are not taking it well...

_..._

_"It hurts."_

_"It hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts."_

_"Ithurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsithurts."_

_"It... It hurts..."_

_"It hurts... It hurts so much..."_

_..._

_..._

\--

Day 20 since the beginning of the game.

8:00 AM.

The morning announcement rang as usual. Shuichi slowly woke up.

Tomorrow could be the end of humanity itself or the end of the killing game. There weren't any other fates awaiting for them.

Hopefully, they would manage to get through the exisal hangar and destroy them.

Kaito's idea may be completely crazy, but that type of madness is what they need right now.

The others were probably waiting for him, so he got dressed up and immediately left to go to the dining hall.

He didn't encounter anyone on his way, though.

Once he entered, he noticed Kirumi was already there with Miu.

"Hello there." Kirumi greeted him.

Shuichi took a seat next to her. "Have you two slept well?"

Miu scoffed. "I slept like someone who's fate is decided tomorrow. But thank you for asking."

It's not like they could have anything else on their minds.

The three started eating in silence.

Kaito and Kokichi came in soon after.

Of course, Rantaro and Ryoma were still in their own labs.

Once they were done, Kirumi left to get Rantaro since Ryoma wouldn't leave his lab until tomorrow.

The medic didn't seem to get better. His empty eyes held the same heaviness for the past three days. The only thing that changed was how good he was at composing himself in front of them- an ability that seemed to worsen over the days, but that no one commented due to how he would potentially react.

"So? Did Ryoma finish the weapons?" Kaito asked.

"He said he'll be done by the end of the morning. After we eat lunch, I'll get the weapons and you guys will be able to enter the hangar." he replied.

After lunch... It was fine. They would have enough time. And besides, he could prepare himself mentally for this operation.

"Hold on, you're not coming?" Miu asked.

He shook his head. "Nah. There are still things I need to do. Besides I don't think all of us going will be useful. Can I leave this to you guys?"

"Don't worry, we'll take care of these, no sweat!" Miu gave him a thumbs-up.

Rantaro had a point. There were only five exisals. Six of them going would be a waste of time.

"What do we do in the meantime?" Kokichi glanced at the others.

"Well, we can still train, right?" Miu suggested. "It can be useful for later!"

"While on the subject of training..." Kirumi mildly raised a hand. "It has come to my attention that _someone_ here might need more than just training."

Shuichi felt her eyes on him.

"I will take Shuichi with me for this morning if none of you are against the idea."

He swallowed.

The others didn't comply, to his dismay. He glanced at Kaito whose eyes simply said: "Good luck."

Training with Kirumi was probably going to be the most painful experience yet.

The group separated, Rantaro still going to do... 'His own business' as he puts it in his lab and the rest of them left to do their own training.

He followed Kirumi to Tenko's lab. He didn't even want to know what she was going to do to him.

Unless... She had ulterior motives?

Once inside, Kirumi closed the door.

"So."

Shuichi turned to her.

"Now that we are alone, we can finally talk in peace."

He let out a sigh of relief.

"We are not going to be able to talk to Ryoma until the time limit. That's going to be very problematic."

"Y-Yeah..."

Should he talk about how he found Rantaro yesterday? At the same time, this looked like a really personal matter, but Kirumi was the only one he could talk to about the situation.

"We're going to have to proceed differently. Forcing him wouldn't help, I know that, but when I went to get him, he was asleep on his desk. And I mean 'collapsed' asleep." she explained.

"Huh? What was he even doing in his lab?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Beats me. There were different products on the table. Different types of painkillers, from weak to very strong ones."

He hummed. "Were all the bottles opened?"

"I did not make a thorough inspection, but overall most of them were opened at some point, I think."

Shuichi thought back at what could possibly have happened in the lab. And more importantly, the syringe he managed to get a glimpse of. Did it have anything to do with it?

After a moment of silence, Kirumi sighed, rubbing her eyes. "This guy really is giving me a headache."

He couldn't disagree. At least with Kokichi, they knew what was wrong and now know how to avoid problems when it comes to his trauma, but they didn't even know what was up with Rantaro since he refused to talk to anyone other than presumably Ryoma. And the latter didn't talk to anyone else either.

"So... What do we do?" he asked.

She thought for a moment. "... You have Kiyo's notebook, correct?"

His eyes widened. _Of course!_

"Y-Yes, hold on..."

He rummaged through his pocket and took out the small, dark blue notebook of the now-deceased therapist.

"Kiyo trusted you with this notebook. Not me. It's for you to make a decision whether you tell me what it says about Rantaro or not."

She was right... He did judge Kirumi trustworthy enough, but he still hid things from her.

"... I think I'll judge after I read it."

She closed her eyes. "Understood."

The mercenary looked back at him. "For now we should keep a very close eye on him. Even more than ever."

"Do you think we should go to his lab?"

She slightly shook her head. "I will go alone. For efficiency purposes."

"Wait!" he exclaimed. "What will we tell the others?"

After a short silence, she made a quick movement under her skirt and took out her monopad, before putting it on the ground.

"You will stay here to read the notebook while I try to check on him. I will not be gone for long, but if the others do end up getting here before I come back, just tell them I had to get something in my room."

He nodded. "U-Understood."

But before she left, he muttered some words.

"... I didn't know you would care so much about him."

She stopped in her tracks.

There was a moment of silence. Had he said anything wrong?

"If that is how you see it. I simply feel like we should make sure he doesn't end up hurting himself."

The mercenary closed the door behind her.

... Kirumi was also a mystery, in some way. While Rantaro helped from the light, she was helping from the shadows.

Even if she hadn't gained the trust of everyone -even sometimes hated for her talent-, she was the only one aside from him to see through Rantaro's decomposing cover and willing to investigate.

His eyes stayed fixated on the door for a while.

Perhaps he should start reading the therapist's notes.

How was that thing even organized?

There were several bookmarks of different colors. Some were folded, some were not.

He opened the first page.

_Angie Yonaga - Ultimate craftswoman_

Upon a quick glance, he realized everyone was listed in alphabetical order. As for the bookmarks, he tried to see why some were folded, but he quickly put two and two together when he realized only eight of them were not folded.

To read them all would be useless at this point. He turned the pages when he stumbled upon Kirumi's.

What had the therapist deduced about her? Perhaps it could have answers to some of his questions.

He shook his head. The mercenary had left to check on the medic, and his role was to read about him.

Perhaps he still could try to look after reading his part.

He turned the pages to find the green, unfolded bookmark.

_Rantaro Amami - Ultimate war medic_

He took a deep breath and started reading.

_-_

_Day 1 report._

_Like for everyone else, I am using this notebook to keep track of everyone's behavior, and possibly help them adapt to this environment._

_I did not have time to talk much to Rantaro, but he is of the people who stood out the most to me. He seems to already want to take the lead- in a good way. I can sense he has the instinct to do so. He says he is a war medic, I wonder if he was the chief of a crew or if it's just in him to lead people in dangerous situations. Both are plausible, but I shall study him more to see what enabled this behavior._

_I do wonder if he has any sort of trauma linked to war, though._

_-_

Shuichi almost forgot there was a time Rantaro was the true 'leader' of the group. It felt like an eternity since then. So many things happened from the moment they were captured to now. Half of them have died already and there was a possibility the rest of them would die tomorrow, killing off the last glimmer of hope for humanity.

But the last sentence of the paragraph made him wince. It reminded him of how innocent he seemed back then- before almost killing him.

If Kiyo had a feeling on the first day, then surely he would have gotten more info about it over the days.

_-_

_Day 6 report._

_Rantaro is once again taking the lead by making us watch all of our motive videos to gain our memories back. I thought he was going to get us not to watch the videos, but I was proven wrong. He is more of a strategist than I thought. I do wonder if he has any other tricks up his sleeves to face Monokuma or not. He seems to already know someone is going to kill._

_This afternoon only confirmed it to me. He seemed extremely forgiving of Miu's murder attempt, although I could also see a hint of uncertainty. Which is normal when you almost died. I hope he manages to play his cards well._

_I cannot help but wonder if this side of him is genuine care for her or 'white manipulation' if you could call it that way. He doesn't seem to have any ill intentions, but if Miu learned she was being manipulated (even for a good cause), she would react very badly, I'm certain of it._

_For now, I will stay silent, as I do not know his intentions completely, and to throw accusations would destroy the work he has started._

_But if Rantaro is indeed able to manipulate people into acting according to his plans, I can't help but worry about what he could possibly do in the future._

_I do hope he will not have to do this again, even though that is necessary, to an extent._

-

"White manipulation...?" Shuichi muttered.

He did notice how well Rantaro could act. Now he wonders if back then he had only done this to make her side with them.

He does feel bad though, to know that there was a possibility Rantaro was only taking advantage of Miu's feelings for him, completely disregarding the love and respect she had for him.

Shuichi really did hope there was at least a glimpse of sincerity in his words.

But right now, manipulating them? He indeed wanted everyone to act according to his plan to stop Monokuma, but now he wasn't so sure if there were any other intentions behind it or not. Rantaro never attempted murder... if he didn't count 'that' time. He saw it for himself: He was the most useful in the trials, always pointing out details on either the autopsy and major clues to continue.

Right now he was alone in his lab -with possibly Kirumi-, Ryoma was in his own lab and the others were training. But... that was necessary if they wanted to stand a chance against Monokuma.

... Perhaps he should continue reading.

-

_Day 8 report._

_Both Kaede and Maki are dead, but the trial let me see strange facets of some of them. Especially Rantaro._

_He looks so dedicated to his job, I don't think I've ever seen such loyalty before. As Tsumugi was pushing him over and over again in the hope of getting info out of him, he felt insulted at the theory he would betray us. The emotion he put through his speech- that was genuine. A genuine pride and honor tied to his title as the ultimate war medic. He even insisted he would rather die than betray us._

_While I am rather glad someone seemed genuine in his words of never committing treason, it stills makes me feel... Uneasy. I did feel chills hearing that last sentence._

_“And I would rather die than to betray this loyalty I swore to myself.”_

_Those are definitely not the words of a normal person. I can tell he has gone through a lot as a soldier, but then again he never seemed to show any explicit signs of trauma._

_I feel like I can trust him. He seems reliable enough as well as a very intelligent person who was a great help during those two trials. And while I do hope we are not going to get a third trial, I am pretty sure he would be just as useful if that happens._

_While some of his methods are a bit unorthodox, they do end up being efficient in the end. To entrust Ryoma with his lab key so he wouldn't be able to be pinned for a crime was a smart move. I do hope no one gets the wrong idea with him, though._

_As for hiding Miu's murder attempt... He managed to be extremely rational and not let his emotions take the better of him. He could have told everyone about it but preferred to gain her trust instead. Although as I said a few days ago, I do not know for sure if this is about genuine care or manipulation._

_Miu did try to kill for her son but backed down because she was unable to actually do it. I think Rantaro sensed her will to fight and is trying to turn it against Monokuma. That's what we are all supposed to do but are too afraid to act because of the consequences. He is trying to redirect us to the path he judges right._

_Overall I do not see him as our enemy, but rather as one of the people I trust the most, for now. I hope I will not get proven wrong over time._

-

'Unorthodox methods' was an understatement.

Shuichi was ready to tell the others about what Miu did, but Rantaro had immediately decided not to. Any normal person would lock her and make sure she couldn't harm anyone else, but he decided to give her a chance, and he was right to do so. That was a huge gamble that paid off in the end.

And to enable their will to fight, not against each other but against Monokuma... That was what he called white manipulation.

He thought about the time he and Kaito had gone to his lab during the third investigation. When they learned Rantaro had kept the lethal aspect of his products a secret. It was like he had managed to plan everything in advance extremely quickly.

Shuichi supposed it's his own talent that granted him this sense of organization.

But Kiyo explicitly said he never showed any worrying signs... Which didn't help in the slightest.

-

_Day 10 report._

_Rantaro has volunteered to take care of the ones touched by the despair disease. It is a noble gesture, and a part of me knew that was going to be the case._

_Right now there are no more 'leaders' since he will not be with us to limit the risks of contamination. He even asked Himiko not to stay here too much. And while I cannot talk to him face to face, his words still feel genuine._

_As a war medic, he should know better than us about this type of situation, so in the meantime, I shall help those who have trouble coping with the killing game._

_He looks trained enough to do his job and I trust him for this. For now, I should focus on those I can talk to._

-

Nothing much to learn here...

Kiyo doesn't seem to doubt Rantaro, but he does not give any sort of information that would help him.

-

_Day 12 report._

_Rantaro started giving me mixed feelings. I feel like half of what he says is genuine, and the other half feels... Not exactly wrong, but forced. Like he is forcing himself to act in certain ways. To do certain actions._

_Himiko, Keebo and Angie died today. I'm still having a hard time processing it all. But right now I am focusing on things I noticed in Rantaro's attitude._

_When most of the group separated to investigate, I stayed with both Ryoma and Rantaro to guard the corpse. Right after everyone left, Rantaro probably became the most expressive I've ever seen him. He was truly mad at Himiko's death, and that was genuine. A feeling of guilt I also sensed after the others' death, but Himiko was the one to stand out the most, and I am sure it is because of her cause of death._

_When he found out later the most important parts of Angie's plan were made thanks to his lab, plus the fact she tried to pin the crime on him must have accentuated his guilt. He was trying to hide it so he could solve the trial, but it was there._

_The rage against Monokuma when he declared Angie had the bloodlust disease is completely genuine as well, I do not doubt it for one second._

_However, when he grabbed Monodam to make him face Himiko's mangled body, he was clearly forcing himself. Was he trying to prove a point to the robots? To encourage us to fight? Or is it something else entirely? I could tell he knew that was not a good idea and that he had the emotional capacity not to snap. He did it with rationality and I cannot tell why he took such risks._

_I want to believe in him, but this is starting to worry me. I should try to keep an eye on him._

-

He is.. pretending? But for what?

What would he even prove to Monokuma by threatening his cub? The bears had much more power than him at the time. Taking risks without any reason behind it was not like Rantaro at all. Was Kiyo wrong?

At least it's more than he ever learned. But still, he knew Rantaro was hiding things, but to fake irrationality... Why? He knew showing signs of weakness could cause the others to lose hope, so why do it on purpose when everything he has done up until now is trying to get them to fight Monokuma?

Or was it like the second theory- to encourage them to fight?

Shuichi had no idea what the medic was thinking, although that was not new.

He should read more.

-

_Day 14 report._

_Once again Rantaro took the lead for the 4th motive._

_It's not that I mind, but we will have to stay separate for the most part, and Rantaro seems to want to stay with Ryoma for the time being. The two seem close, now that I think about it. And both often give their inputs in the trials, although Ryoma is a bit more silent. I suppose their experiences as soldiers must have made them closer than with anyone else. I do hope I am not wrong by making this assumption._

_Although there is something that worries me. Ever since Himiko died, Rantaro seems more on edge. My guess is that since her death was more brutal than the executions themselves added to the fact that he was drugged the time this crime was committed, he must think he could have done better and even save her had he been less 'careless'. I do not know if he knows that it is not his fault, unfortunately. I can only hope. If someone had asked me a few days ago, I would have said with no hesitation that he knew that. But now I'm not so sure anymore._

_He may have faked his reaction back in the shrine of judgment, but if more actions end up feeling genuine, I might have to step in._

-

Himiko's death had shocked everyone, not just Kokichi. Even though the boy was the most mournful, they all deeply missed the astronomer.

Her death changed them all in some way. Miu became way more motherly, Kiyo acted on his own because he judged he was the one to blame for this, Kokichi was torn apart because his disease was the reason she died, and now Shuichi learns that Rantaro was actually feeling the exact same guilt as everyone else.

But finally, he was getting a glimpse of what was wrong- something related to his past on the battlefield and the guilt he is holding.

Surely Kiyo would have...

...

... He didn't have time to get any more information, did he?

This note was written one day before his plan to stop the supposed mastermind. He didn't have time to write more.

However, there was one last note, hastily scribbled on the last page. It looked like Kiyo was in a rush when writing it.

-

_This is the final note I shall write. Everything has gone wrong, and Shuichi, since you are probably the one reading this, I am sorry for lying to you all. I am sorry for betraying you and I shouldn't have made this disastrous plan in the first place, but I need to write this._

_It's not that I'm distrusting Rantaro, but something is deeply wrong. Something I don't have an explanation for, and of course I cannot ask him because I have to pretend to investigate with you all._

_But the way he was standing, the heaviness in his eyes, the way he reacted to Tsumugi's death, this intense guilt in his expression... It's not something I've ever seen before from him. He always had a comforting smile and a genuine will to help. But now it's different. It's like he completely shut down, only leaving an empty shell deprived of reason._

_But that doesn't make any kind of sense. He didn't show even a single sign of trauma up until very recently. Not a single time. I've noticed his actions started feeling off during the motive and brushed it off because I was focusing on the mastermind, but there was a hint of hesitation, of uncertainty that was never present in him. But now that Tsumugi is dead, he has been showing those signs of trauma -whether it is indeed PTSD or something worse- more than ever._

_I fail to see the meaning of this, but that may be because I didn't have time to talk to him at all. He might have just completely snapped all at once. It's very rare to be able to swallow all the pain that well, but if we keep in mind his early life, that actually might not be that much of a stretch._

_Anyway, I know this is going to be hard considering he is not the type to let himself crumble -besides the eventual faking-, but I need you guys to keep an eye on him and possibly help him with this. He is the one who will need it the most._

_I will not be here to help you and I don't have the time to write methods on how to deal with PTSD, and I do not know how to deal with war trauma of all things. Added to the fact I didn't get to witness it much, all I can say is good luck. I know you can help with patience and perseverance._

_I have faith in you all._

-

...

...

A note before the trial. The last thoughts of the therapist about them. But...

What did this even mean?

Somehow he could understand the 'shut down' part due to what he witnessed these last few days... But he could not even apprehend anything else on this note.

"He showed subtle signs and then... broke d-

The door opened, startling him. He instinctively closed the notebook, letting out a high-pitched noise. "Ah!-"

Kirumi stared at him for a moment. "... I'm back."

"I-I can see that."

She approached him. "So? Anything new?"

Shuichi looked back at the notebook for a moment. "He... never mentions any sort of trauma. Only that it seemed... sudden."

The mercenary raised an eyebrow. "Sudden...?"

"He said he only showed very subtle signs of trauma but never mentioned anything else about it. Only that he seemed to have snapped when Tsumugi died."

She pondered for a moment. "... Which does not help us apprehend the situation at all."

"He only mentioned PTSD or 'maybe worse', but he never got to talk to Rantaro about it."

"Rantaro stayed with the ill ones during the third motive, and we had to stay separated during the fourth motive. So I can understand that part."

Shuichi stared at the notebook for a moment. "Was the mastermind... trying to do that?"

She looked back at him, frowning. "What do you mean?"

"Trying to separate Rantaro from Kiyo- the therapist. Rantaro is one of the smartest ones here... Were they trying to make sure those two couldn't talk?"

She narrowed her eyes. "I am starting to think this is a possibility."

"They have managed to manipulate Kiyo, I wouldn't be surprised if they took Rantaro's trauma at their advantage. To exploit the weaknesses of the ones causing them the most trouble."

He winced at the thought. "Which means we'll have to keep an eye on him at all times... If he lets us."

"Which I doubt he will. You should know Rantaro by now as well as I do."

He could only agree.

"Wait, how did it go? Did you... talk to him?"

She went silent for a moment. "I did confront him, yes."

He felt his heart skip a beat. "S-So...?"

"He refuses to say anything. I did try to ask him to join us in our training and at least be with someone, but he snapped at me saying he already trains alone, and has the medicine to prepare. I couldn't get a single thing out of him."

"Oh..."

There was a long silence.

"Should we... train anyway?"

"Sure. What I do is more of an aiming exercise than something physical. A technical exercise, if you will."

At least he wouldn't get exhausted this time.

Kirumi first gave him a simple exercise with the target and the darts from Kokichi's lab, which at first didn't sound too bad. That is, until they changed the difficulty from 'peaceful' to 'throwing knives at a moving target.' At least his aim at the end of the training was decent.

Finally, Kokichi went to get them for lunch.

After that, Rantaro would get the weapons and they would finally make their way to the exisal hangar.

Hopefully, his plan would work.

They reunited, but lunch was pretty silent as they didn't have much to say.

After eating, they stood up.

"So? What about those weapons?" Kaito asked.

"I will go to Ryoma's lab. You guys can still train in the meantime if you want." the medic replied.

Did that mean it was going to take longer than expected?

Either way, Rantaro was already on his way.

"So... What do we do now?" Kokichi looked at the others.

"I guess we're back on preparing ourselves." Kaito shrugged. "Not like we have much to do."

"Then how about we go to the warehouse? There are still the dumbells here!" Miu suggested. "And you will have to train your strength one day or another!" she pointed at Kokichi.

"O-Okay??"

They made their way here. But as soon as Miu started going through the boxes, the lights suddenly turned off.

They stood there for a moment. The sun still shone through the windows, but the additional lights were gone.

"Weird... Aren't they always turned on?" Kaito raised an eyebrow.

"That is strange. None of us pressed a switch or anything similar." Kirumi noted.

"I'm guessing the power went out..." Shuichi noted. "But it never happened in the academy, did it?"

Kaito shook his head. "Nope. Not even once."

"Well, I guess there's a first time for everything." Miu shrugged. "Should we go outside instead?"

They didn't have many solutions. It was still too dark to do proper training.

The group made their way outside. Since Rantaro would soon come with the weapons, they decided to do simple exercises outside.

Shuichi was still anxious about this. Sure, he knew a way to open the hangar, but would the weapons work? Surely, Monokuma would try to do something, right?

Who knows.

Around fifteen minutes, later, Kaito broke the silence. "What's taking him so long? I know Ryoma's lab is on the fifth floor but still."

"Agreed..." Shuichi muttered.

"Should we go and see what happened? Maybe the blackout did something." Miu suggested.

"No need for it. He's right here." Kirumi said, head turned towards the main door where Rantaro just appeared.

He had a backpack that Shuichi assumed to be full.

He approached the group, put the bag on the ground, and opened it.

"Those are the weapons we used for the tunnels and new ones. There are now grenades in there that are powerful enough to do heavy damage, so be careful keeping a safe distance when activating them. You guys should be able to disable the exisals with that." Rantaro explained.

Grenades powerful enough to destroy exisals?

That was definitely not what he had in mind, but... Perhaps they could change their plans, if Kaito accepts giving up on his dream to pilot the exisals.

"So you are still not coming with us?" Kirumi asked.

The medic thought for a moment.

"... Perhaps it should be better if I go with you guys indeed."

Rantaro didn't say anything as he distributed the weapons to everyone. The grenades looked very small compared to the damage they are supposed to do. They were about the size of a tennis ball, with Ryoma's sigil printed on them. They were a bit heavier than what Shuichi expected an item of this size to be, but it wasn't too bothering.

"Shuichi, I really do hope your method will work." Kaito said.

"Even if it doesn't, I'm pretty sure these will be enough to destroy the door." Rantaro eyed him.

He did hope this would work indeed. Not that he disliked the bombs, but it still worried him.

They made their way to the exisal hangar.

Shuichi noticed the lights were still on, which meant the blackout hadn't touched the hangar.

"That's weird... I thought the blackout happened in the entire academy." he noted.

"Yeah, that's right! Is it because it only touched the main building or something?" Miu added.

"Strange. Rantaro, did you also get it on the fifth floor?" Kirumi asked.

"I did experience it. Fortunately, there were emergency lights in Ryoma's lab. He said he'll work a way to create a sustainable light source in case this ends up being a long term problem."

Shuichi wondered if all the labs had those. Probably, but he would have to check sometime.

This made him worry about the state of the academy. Perhaps throwing bombs around and using hacking guns could do serious damage, and without electricity and thus heating, refrigerators, and many other essential elements in the academy. they were better off dead.

At last, they reached the shutter.

"So? Will you finally tell us your technique?" Kaito asked again.

Shuichi nervously approached the pad where he had to type the password.

"... Kokichi, could you come here for a second?"

"Um... Sure..."

The smaller boy placed himself next to him. "What... do you want me to do?"

"Nothing. Let me just..." He placed a hand on the keys, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes.

He could sense the others silently wondering what he was up to.

"... Actually no. Miu, can you come here too, please?"

She raised an eyebrow. "O...kay? What's the big deal?"

"I want you to press keys at random until I say stop."

They all looked at him with dumbfounded eyes -except Rantaro, who somehow already knew what the plan was-.

"What the fuck?! That's your plan?" Miu exclaimed.

"There's one in a trillion of a trillion chance she'll get it right! Did you seriously think this would work?!" Kaito added.

"No, it can work."

Everyone turned to Rantaro.

"There is a chance it can work. Right Kokichi?"

The smaller boy jumped. "Y-Yes... I think she can do it."

_"If karma is fully on her side, then I think she can get this one in a billion chances."_

Her eyes widened and turned to the violinist. "You planned to use karma for this??"

He nodded. "That's why I'm asking you to type the code. You out of all of us are the most likely to succeed."

The street artist felt the gazes of her friends on her.

"I... I'll try."

She placed her hands on the pad. "So... I just type random numbers?"

"Yes, don't think while you type. And stop the exact moment I tell you to."

She paused in front of the pad. Shuichi closed his eyes to focus.

Miu closed hers as well and started typing, the beeping echoing through the room.

The intervals between the noises were short, but keeping track of them wasn't much of a problem.

_beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep-_

"STOP!"

Miu instinctively took her hands off. "Is it good?"

Shuichi swallowed. "I think we can press enter."

He was very nervous. He really hoped this would work.

_tic!_

A loading logo appeared on the pad, everyone staring at the machine with anxiousness.

_Password correct!_

Shuichi's eyes widened. "It... worked?"

Miu laughed and started ruffling his hair. "It worked! Shuichi, you're a genius!"

"I-I guess? Thank you?"

"And thanks for the karma, Kokichi! We couldn't have done it without you!"

He weakly smiled. "T-Thanks, Miu."

Kaito cracked his knuckles. "Alright! Now that this thing's open we can get in!"

"We shouldn't let our guard down. We don't know if Monokuma is ready to stop us or not." Kirumi advised.

"Agreed." Rantaro added.

They proceeded with caution as the door opened for them.

They slowly entered the hangar, checking every side to see if the bear was here to stop them.

... But nobody came.

"So." Rantaro approached the first exisal with his hacking gun, pointing it at the machine. "If the gun works, the exisal opens."

Kokichi looked unsure. "And... What if it doesn't?"

The medic shot a quick glance at him.

_"... Then we're blowing this place up."_

Shuichi felt his heart skip a beat. When he had requested weapons to Ryoma... This isn't what he had in mind in the slightest.

"H-Hold on! Ain't that a tad too dangerous?" Kaito exclaimed.

"Well, do you have any other plans?"

The biker went silent. "N-No..."

"If they don't open with the guns, we have no choice but to destroy them."

He took the grenade to look at it. "Ryoma made these specifically to destroy them. He is the ultimate weapons maker, I'm pretty sure those bombs are more than enough."

Shuichi was still worried. If Ryoma's bombs were as powerful as he just said, weren't there risks they would hurt or even kill themselves?

He could only hope the guns would work.

Rantaro pointed the gun at the blue exisal and shot it five times.

But it didn't move.

"Perhaps we should check if we can open it." Kirumi suggested.

She approached the engine and tried to move it...

... Without success.

"S-So the guns don't work?" Miu asked, already knowing what's coming.

"Nope. That means the system to open them isn't electric, but mechanical. We can't do anything with the guns." Rantaro noted.

Kirumi crossed her arms. "I had inspected them several times the day we discovered the hangar. They don't have an opening mechanism that can be used by hand."

"Then... We have to destroy the exisals?" Shuichi looked at the two.

"... We don't have a choice."

He didn't expect Miu to say that.

"We have a way to put an end to this, so let's blow these up!"

"Are you sure about this?" Kaito turned to her.

She nodded. "If you want to, you can wait for us outside. Just give your bomb and we'll take care of it!"

Since Kaito couldn't run, to escape the explosion would be hard. Perhaps he should indeed distance himself so he wouldn't have to risk his life.

The biker gave his bomb to Miu and left.

"See you soon, good luck!" He waved at Miu, who waved back. "Gotcha!"

Everyone had their bombs in hand.

"You pull the grip, throw next to the exisals and run away as fast as you can. Ryoma told me we have ten seconds to run before they explode. Which should give us enough time to distance ourselves from the explosion. Got it?"

Shuichi nodded.

"3..."

He held firmly the grenade.

"2..."

Hand on the trigger, hoping this would go well.

"1..."

He was about to pull the grip, but-

_"AHEM!"_

A familiar robotic voice was heard from behind them.

A voice they all hated.

They all turned around to see Monokuma had made his apparition.

"My, my! That was quite the elaborated plan! I'm sad you guys don't put that much effort into killing! To use Kokichi's karma to open the door, then grenades to destroy the exisals? I didn't think you would go that far!"

... Well. _Shit._

Of course, Monokuma would barge in at some point. It was about time he did something to annoy them.

"However, that would be very unfortunate for me if you guys end up destroying my precious exisals!"

Rantaro glared at him. "You just had to ruin our plans, didn't you? I was surprised you didn't show up sooner."

"I wouldn't call it 'ruining your plans'. You see, I call it 'Killing game management'!"

Kirumi rolled her eyes. "So? Stop beating around the bush and tell us what you're planning to do."

He groaned. "Impatient, aren't we? Let me at least make things enjoyable for our audience!"

Kaito looked at him with a deadpanned expression. "Stop fucking around, you stupid dramatic theater kid. No one is watching and no one cares."

"Fine! Fine! I simply added an additional rule for our lovely stay at the academy! Make sure to keep it in mind!~"

Shuichi took out his monopad that just vibrated and turned it on to see the new rule.

  * _#17: Any person damaging the headmaster's personal property (Exisals, kids) will be faced with punishment._



"Oh, come on!" Miu yelled. "Couldn't you tell us sooner?!"

"Puhuhu! Why would I? It was fascinating to watch all of you prepare this meticulous plan, and to almost destroy my precious exisals! By the way..."

The bear took out a set of keys he span around his paw. Four keys, each marked with a color- blue, red, pink, and yellow.

"Those exisals can only be opened by my precious cubs! I would never -ever- give you guys the keys!"

If the cubs had the keys and Monokuma took them back after their deaths, then only Monodam had his key left.

Although that didn't mean he would help them.

"Now, shoo! You wouldn't want to be executed for such an idiotic mistake!"

Shuichi was mad. But he had to restrain himself. He glanced at the others.

They didn't have a choice but to leave, no matter how much they wanted to complete their plan.

The group slowly walked out, disappointed by the outcome of this mission.

They had to go back to the original plan, to fight the exisals once the time limit comes.

Miu explained to Kaito what happened back there, the latter also mad at Monokuma.

"So... What do we do now?" Kokichi asked.

"We'll stick to what we planned to do. You guys continue your training, I'll bring back the bombs to Ryoma."

Shuichi didn't expect anything else.

He thought about the notebook. Should he make an excuse to read more of it? Perhaps he could try to understand better what Kiyo was trying to say, and he was also curious about Kirumi.

But at the same time, he had to train with the others. They wouldn't be able to survive if he doesn't get fit before the next day.

Rantaro left to go to the main building.

Kirumi was keeping an eye on him. She obviously didn't like the idea of leaving him alone.

And neither did Shuichi.

"K-Kirumi? You did aiming exercises with Shuichi, right?" Kokichi turned to the mercenary.

"Yes, I did. I am guessing you would like to train with me?"

He nodded. "I know I don't have any kind of brute force, but... I still should try to get better at aiming, right?"

She hummed. "It would be preferable, yes."

Miu put her hands on her hips. "We may have failed now, but we're not giving up! C'mon, Shuichi! I heard from Kaito you weren't exactly the strongest~"

_Shit._

"R-Right..." he faked a smile.

Kaito wrapped an arm around his neck. "You're coming with us whether you like it or not!"

He could throw the plan to keep an eye on Rantaro in the trashcan, then.

But they were right on one thing: They needed to train.

They headed to the main building, but noticed the blackout was still happening.

"When will Monokuma bring the lights back? Sheesh, he could at least do that instead of giving us stupid rules." Miu groaned.

"Do we still train here or...?" Kaito crossed his arms.

She hummed. "I guess we can take the dumbells outside. That's gonna be our first exercise!"

... He was going to be the one transporting them, wasn't he?

The trio got to the warehouse, thankfully still illuminated a bit by the sunlight.

"Hey Shuichi! Take those dumbells outside, would ya?" the street artist grinned.

_I knew it._

They ended up encouraging him as he transported the heavy box outside. The encouragements didn't do much, but it was still nice to have them by his side.

The three trained for a while. Shuichi was getting better, to the others' pleasure.

Good thing those two were good at motivating.

"I'm... I'm exhausted..."

Kaito laughed. "Alright, alright. We can take a break."

Shuichi laid on the grass and looked up to the sky- or rather the fake sky.

It may be nothing but a screen simulating the day/night cycle, but that was also the symbol of all the efforts the Gofer project scientists had put to ensure their survival.

_They could not fail this fight. Not now._

There was a long silence.

...

"Do you think we're going to make it?" he asked.

Ryoma could make weapons, yes, but would that be enough against Monokuma?

Did he have any other trick up his sleeve?

What would... What would the one behind it all do?

"I have hope in us."

As expected, Miu was the one to talk.

"I said it before and I say it again. We can't consider defeat as an option. Whatever is in front of us we will fight it."

"I promised to Kaz that I would live, that I would be one of the salvagers of humanity, and I'm keeping my promise."

"And I want you guys by my side too."

But no matter how many encouragements Miu would give, his worry would never die down.

However, seeing her so determined about this helped a little anyway.

After a long pause, they decided to continue the training, this time he and Miu cheering for Kaito who was trying to run with dumbells. He did end up falling more than once, though.

But every single time he got back up. Sometimes needing help, but overall being more than able to help for the next day.

Perhaps those training sessions did more good than he thought, both physically and mentally.

Some long hours later, they could see the sunset in the distance as they all sat on the ground.

...

"This... This may be the last time we ever see the sun setting. If we can even call it that way." Kaito broke the silence.

Miu groaned. "What did I say earlier?! We are going to fight! And we are going to win!"

"I know! I know! But still!"

Miu turned to the source of this beautiful golden light. "... But I get what you mean."

The screens reflected almost perfectly the colors they used to watch on summer nights, back before the killing game.

When everything was normal.

...

"Oh, you guys are here!"

A voice came from behind- Kokichi.

"Hey there! Have you guys trained well?"

Kirumi, who was accompanying Kokichi, approached the group as well. "We are fine."

The two turned to the sunset as well. A calm and peaceful scene.

A wave of nostalgia hit him. Of summers spent with friends, dancing around the beach with their families watching them.

Moments he wanted so much to live again, but couldn't.

...

"I see things are going well on your side."

Shuichi almost jumped at the voice.

Rantaro had joined them as well, to his surprise.

"I'm glad you guys are still up to this very last battle." he said with a weak smile- a weak smile still not hiding the emptiness in his tired eyes.

"Anytime, sweetie! We're ready to fight!" Miu gave him a thumbs-up.

Shuichi couldn't help but smile as well. "I've been getting stronger thanks to you all. I think... I think we can do this."

"T-That's right! We've been training and I'm sure that with Ryoma's weapons we can end this!" Kokichi exclaimed- although his voice was still lower than most of theirs.

"Then I believe we can survive this fight." Kirumi crossed her arms, her voice low, but confident. "I believe tomorrow this killing game will end."

It was rare hearing such words from her, but they truly felt sincere.

"Then how about we take a break?" Kaito suggested, standing up. "We've been training all day, how about we relax a little?"

Rantaro sighed. "As much as I hate it, I have to agree. Perhaps we should indeed end for today."

Shuichi smiled. Finally, the medic admitted taking a break was necessary.

The group stared off into space.

The sky may be nothing but a pale copy of reality, but those rays of sunlight still warmed their hearts.

They were here. Six of the seven survivors of humanity. And if they were chosen as ultimates to save it, then they were going to fight until their very last breath.

Their journey was coming to an end.

A long and painful journey of what felt like endless suffering.

Tomorrow would mark an end to this game, and they would finally live in peace.

But right now, they just enjoyed the silence. The comforting artificial light from the dome.

Though the wind was not present, Shuichi could almost feel a light breeze on his face.

A calm before the storm, and hopefully then, calmer than they ever have been.

...

Shuichi turned back to the group. "How about we relax for an hour and then we get to dinner?"

"Sounds good to me! I need a shower." Miu stood up as well.

They all agreed, heading back to the dorms.

Shuichi started walking but noticed Rantaro was staring at the building- or the void, most likely.

"Are you okay, Rantaro?"

He turned back to the violinist. "Huh? Sorry, I'm coming."

Once in his room, Shuichi let out a sigh. He really needed a shower as well.

After that, he looked at his monopad. 45 minutes left before going to the dining hall. Perhaps he could finally read a part of Kiyo's notebook.

He sat on his bed and opened it to Kirumi's page.

The violinist may be worried about Rantaro, but he was curious about her as well.

_Kirumi Tojo - Ultimate ~~maid (?)~~ mercenary  
_

Shuichi forgot for a moment she was known as the ultimate maid for a while. But if he did note a question mark, did that mean he was doubting her even before the reveal? That wasn't that surprising actually.

-

_Day 1 report._

_Like for everyone else, I am using this notebook to keep track of everyone's behavior, and possibly help them adapt to this environment._

_I do not know this person well, I will admit. However, I am pretty sure she was lying about her talent, at least partially. She may be in a maid outfit, but I have a feeling she is hiding things. I do not wish to point things out so soon. After all, cooperation is the key to survival in a killing game. One simple thing could lead to a disaster._

_Who knows what would happen if I exposed her as a liar so soon. Besides, I lack concrete evidence to do so. I should keep an eye on her to see if I can get any information out of her behavior._

-

Even on day 1? Shuichi didn't know what he expected, but certainly not that soon.

Good thing he didn't expose her back then, though. He doesn't even know how he would have reacted.

He did learn it during a trial, which was why he had to brush it off rather quickly to solve the current mystery, but had she been exposed at any other moment he would have probably panicked a lot more.

At least Kiyo knew what consequences it would have had.

-

_Day 5 report._

_Kirumi is definitely not the ultimate maid._

_I have heard from Tsumugi's group that Kirumi wished to stay in her lab for a moment before any of us could even enter. She may have gotten out of her lab afterward, but I have my doubts._

_I did end up talking to her, though, in her lab of all places. The lab did look like it belonged to a maid, but something is amiss, I can feel it. And I am pretty sure she knows I know. She looks like she is carefully choosing her words every time she talks to me._

_In her lab, our conversation was rather interesting, although I do not doubt for one second that she was lying through her teeth about certain things, mostly her daily life. I have a few theories about what she could be, although my main theory is that she is indeed a criminal, and not the 'robber' type. I would not be surprised if she revealed to have killed people in the past. How many? That I do not know, but she surely did._

_I do understand why she stays silent about it, though. Even I, the first day, realized anything can make us crumble. I do not know if we will ever know one day, but knowing Monokuma, he would surely find a way to rat her out._

_Although there is one thing that reassures me, is that she does not seem like the serial killer type. If she really took pleasure in killing, she would have done so during the first blood perk motive._

_So I am guessing she is a retired mercenary or assassin. I do not know what could have made her stop her career, perhaps I should talk to her once her talent is fully out._

-

Even back then he knew about her being a mercenary, or at least an assassin.

He was really glad he didn't tell anyone. But was it the reason why Kirumi got Maki's motive video instead of hers? Monokuma did blame it on his cubs, but there is a possibility this was on purpose.

After all, how else would she get her talent out in the day? Just seeing her lying about her talent must have given him the will to expose her himself with the second motive.

He was glad Kiyo acted carefully back then.

_Back then..._

He preferred not to think about the fourth trial again.

-

_Day 8 report._

_So she is indeed the ultimate mercenary, just as I thought._

_A strategical woman who does not wish to take unnecessary risks. She looked unhappy to have her talent exposed by Keebo and Ryoma, which is more than understandable. However, they did not specify if she was retired or not, which worries me a little. But since she is a mercenary and not an assassin, I think she does not wish to kill someone unless there is a reward behind it- most likely money._

_Although I fail to understand why she didn't kill anyone during the first blood perk if she knew how to kill. Actually, now that I think about it, it might be because she realized the same thing as me- the fact that Monokuma may or may not have been lying about letting us go scot-free. And since Kirumi is intelligent as well, that is the most plausible possibility. A distrustful and independent nature has its perks._

_I will try to talk to her about it during the next few days, but I will have to balance her with a few others, such as Kokichi, Rantaro, and Tsumugi._

-

Kirumi had mentioned retiring if she could, which meant she was indeed still active before the game.

And she did tell him about the reason why she didn't try to kill anyone for the first blood perk. And as Kiyo said, it was because she realized Monokuma may have been lying.

A strategical woman indeed.

But Kiyo also seemed to have realized that Monokuma may have been lying as well, but perhaps he feared the direct consequences of exposing him.

It's not like he could ask him now.

-

_Day 9 report._

_Kirumi is indeed an interesting person. Now that her talent is out I got to experience her real self. She is still helping with tasks, this time with Miu by her side, that I am glad didn't isolate herself from the group after the incident._

_Miu aside, Kirumi seems to have mixed feelings about her own job. That if she had any other opportunity, she would retire, but that circumstances didn't allow her to do so. I did ask her how it was affecting her- to kill people for a living. However, the moment I even tried to talk about the subject, she glared at me and immediately closed herself off. It isn't anything surprising, really. To bring yourself to describe your killing career must be very hard. But in that case, she just doesn't want to, I think._

_She doesn't show any signs of trauma, though I could be wrong. Since she is a strategist, she must know that showing weakness could cost her a lot. For now, I will try to focus on other people, since she seems very reluctant to talk about her feelings._

_Although she did talk about preferring to end her targets' lives as painlessly and quickly as possible. That making people suffer and torturing them was not part of her job. On that point, I can respect her. She knows killing is wrong, and I can sense a respect for the dead coming from her. A necessity not to kill those who aren't involved with her job._

_At least she is more reasonable than I first thought when I heard about her talent as a mercenary._

-

To respect the dead... That was exactly what she talked about a few days ago when she reproached them that they didn't respect those who died and their wishes. Kaito had taken it the wrong way, but _this_ was what she really meant.

When they talked later, Shuichi learned that she wouldn't kill if she didn't have to and that she mostly did so to survive, putting her life before her targets'. It was a selfish mindset, but... Could he blame her?

Killing was horrible, and it is an unforgivable crime. He knew that more than anyone.

But as Kiyo said, at least she hated making people suffer.

He was really glad she was on their side.

-

_Day 13 report._

_Himiko's death was a shock for everyone. There is no questioning that. But Kirumi's stone-cold facade finally crumbled enough for me to see some specks of humanity in her._

_Although she does have experience in killing, her reaction upon seeing Himiko's corpse was almost just as normal as ours. Pure horror. I didn't expect Himiko to be tortured in such a way either. I wanted to vomit._

_But to see her shocked about her death proved me right on a point. She does respect the dead a lot. I do not know how exactly she achieved this mentality, but I presume this is because of her job. To watch people suffer weighs a lot on someone's mind, so making things quickly would limit the damage on her psyche._

_Deep down she does feel the same horror as us to this madness._

_And her last interaction with Angie only intensified this feeling. When she grabbed Kokichi to torment him, Kirumi was the only one who had the nerve to step in and slap her away, denying whatever similarities the two could have, and I suspect this mentality is the 'why'._

_Two killers, yet drastically different ideologies, although I do not think I can consider Angie's bloodlust disease as an ideology._

_I should try to get through her again if I have the chance._

-

...

There is nothing else in the notebook about her.

Kiyo had stopped writing about the others to focus on his plan. Each time he remembered that, his heart stung. Tsumugi's death, the trial, everything coming after... That was a horrible memory in his mind.

Upon reading Kiyo's statements, Shuichi had an answer to one of the questions he didn't dare to ask Kirumi.

_How could she live with so much blood on her hands?_

Being a mercenary must be an extremely hard job, especially if you hate killing. So this... this mentality helped her bear through this.

He did wonder if she sometimes wished for her targets to be happy in the afterlife.

... He preferred not to think about it too much.

Shuichi checked his monopad. It was almost time to leave.

After putting his shoes back on, he left the room.

Kaito and Kokichi were already there waiting.

"Oh, are you two waiting for the rest of us?"

The biker smiled. "Yup! We might as well go together, don't you think?"

He nodded. "Yeah... We still have to wait for the others, though."

Time passed, and Miu, Kirumi, and Rantaro left their rooms soon after. They all had noticeably taken a shower, for obvious reasons.

The group went to the dining hall to prepare what could be their last dinner.

They noticed the blackout was finally over, and they could at last cook in peace.

Miu had asked everyone to help- and they did. Shuichi wished Ryoma was there with them, though.

The dinner was nice, although Shuichi could see a hint of nervousness in the entire group.

The last dinner before the end of the killing game, whether they win or lose the fight.

"Alrighty then! We're gonna sleep and tomorrow is the big day! So sleep tight everyone!" Miu announced.

Rantaro chuckled. "I still have some things to do in my lab so go on without me."

_How much of it was a lie?_

The street artist narrowed her eyes for a moment. "Just don't stay up late. Got it?"

"I know, I know. Don't worry about me, okay?"

She slightly blushed at the remark. "A-Anyway! C'mon guys!"

Shuichi saw Kirumi shooting one last glance at the medic before following the others.

He couldn't do anything but go back to the dorms.

He laid on his bed, wide awake.

He couldn't sleep knowing Rantaro was up to who-knows-what at this point.

Carefully, the violinist opened the door, making sure no one would witness him, and stepped out of the dorms.

He quickly made his way to the main building.

Checking his monopad, he saw Rantaro's icon right in front of Ryoma's lab on the fifth floor, and Ryoma's icon in the lab.

... Were they talking?

Shuichi felt bad, but he didn't have a choice.

He walked through the corridors, but on the stairs leading to the fifth floor, he heard some noise.

Or rather, tapping, coming from both behind the door and from the hallway.

_taap, tap tap tap tap, tap. taap tap tap tap, taap taap taap, taap taap, taap tap tap tap, tap tap tap. tap taap taap, tap, tap taap tap, tap. tap tap taap, tap tap tap, tap, tap taap tap tap, tap, tap tap tap, tap tap tap, tap tap taap taap tap tap._

This was from behind the door. And it oddly sounded like...

_... Morse code._

A rhythmic tapping of fingers on the door. Quick, but understandable if you are experienced, he supposed.

tap taap taap tap, tap taap tap, tap, taap, taap, taap tap taap taap. taap taap, tap tap taap, taap tap taap tap, tap tap tap tap. taap tap tap tap, tap tap taap, taap. tap tap. tap tap tap tap, tap taap, tap tap tap taap, tap. tap taap, taap tap. tap tap, taap tap tap, tap, tap taap.

This one was from the hallway.

He hadn't mastered morse code at all, he couldn't understand a single thing.

But what if...

Shuichi quietly went down the stairs. If he grabbed a pen and paper, he could try to note the conversation.

If only he could go to Kiyo's lab where he knew were stored many notebooks.

But perhaps Kaede's lab had enough of them as well.

He ran there, grabbed a pen and a notebook, and sprinted back up.

He took out a piece of paper and focused.

 _taap tap taap taap, taap taap taap, tap tap taap. tap tap tap, tap tap taap, tap taap tap, tap. taap, tap tap tap tap, tap tap, tap tap tap. tap taap taap, tap tap, tap taap tap tap, tap taap tap tap._ _tap taap taap, taap taap taap, tap taap tap, taap tap taap, tap tap taap taap tap tap._

It was a bit hard to follow the rhythm, but he could do it. He had to thank his good hearing for that.

tap taap, taap tap tap tap, tap tap tap, taap taap taap, tap taap tap tap, tap tap taap, taap, tap, tap taap tap tap, taap tap taap taap.

Supposing Rantaro was the one talking here, what is he even saying?

 _tap tap._ _taap, tap taap tap, tap tap taap, tap tap tap, taap._ _taap tap taap taap, taap taap taap, tap tap taap._ _taap tap tap tap, tap tap taap, taap._ _taap, tap tap tap tap, tap tap, tap tap tap._ _tap tap, tap tap tap._ _tap tap, taap tap, tap tap tap, tap taap, taap tap, tap. tap tap. tap tap tap tap, taap taap taap, tap taap taap tap._ _taap tap taap taap, taap taap taap, tap tap taap._ _taap tap taap, taap tap, taap taap taap, tap taap taap. taap, tap tap tap tap, tap taap, taap._

taap taap taap, tap tap tap tap. tap tap. taap tap taap, taap tap, taap taap taap, tap taap taap. taap tap tap, taap taap taap, taap tap, taap. tap taap taap, taap taap taap, tap taap tap, tap taap tap, taap tap taap taap.

A pause.

 _taap tap tap tap, tap tap taap, taap._ _tap tap, tap tap taap tap._ _taap tap taap taap, taap taap taap, tap tap taap._ _taap tap tap, taap taap taap._ _taap tap tap tap, tap, tap taap tap tap, tap tap, tap, tap tap tap taap, tap. tap taap taap, tap._ _taap tap taap tap, tap taap, taap tap._ _tap tap tap, tap taap, tap tap tap taap, tap._ _tap, tap tap tap taap, tap, tap taap tap, taap tap taap taap, taap taap taap, taap tap, tap..._

 _... taap, tap tap tap tap, tap, taap tap._ _tap tap._ _tap taap taap, tap tap, tap taap tap tap, tap taap tap tap._ _tap tap taap tap, taap taap taap, tap taap tap tap, tap taap tap tap, taap taap taap, tap taap taap. taap tap taap taap, taap taap taap, tap tap taap._

_..._

tap tap tap, tap taap, tap tap tap taap, tap.

...

...

_tap tap taap taap tap tap._

...

tap tap. tap tap tap tap, tap taap, tap tap tap taap, tap. tap tap taap tap, tap taap, tap tap, tap taap tap tap, tap, taap tap tap. taap taap, taap tap taap taap. taap taap, tap tap, tap tap tap, tap tap tap, tap tap, taap taap taap, taap tap. tap taap taap, tap taap, tap tap tap. tap tap tap, tap tap, taap taap, tap taap taap tap, tap taap tap tap, taap tap taap taap. taaptaaptaaptaaptaptaptaptaptaaptaptaptaptaaptaptaptaptaptaptaaptaptaptaaptaptaaptaptaaptaaptaaptaaptaaptaaptaptaptaptaaptaaptaptaaptaptaptaptap

Shuichi couldn't even take notes anymore. This was way too fast. He wondered how Ryoma could even understand anything.

taaptaptaaptaptaaptaaptaaptaptaptaaptaptaaptaptaptaaptaptaptaaptaptaaptaptaptaptaptaaptaptaaptaptaaptaptaptaaptaaptaaptaaptaptaptaptaptaptaaptaaptaaptaptaptaptaptaptaptaaptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptaaptaptaaptaaptaaptaptaaptaaptaptaaptaaptaptaaptaaptaptaptaaptaptaaptaptaptaaptaaptaptaptaptaaptaptaptaaptaptaptaptaaptaptaptaaptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptaaptaptaptaptaaptaptaptaptaaptaaptaaptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptaaptaaptaaptaaptaptaptaptaaptaptaaptaptaptaaptaaptaptaaptaptaaptaptaptaaptaptaptaptaaptaptaaptaaptaaptaptaaptaptaaptaptaptaaptaaptaaptaap-

_BLAM!_

Shuichi jumped at the brutal slam on the door, echoing through the large, empty corridors.

There was a long silence.

_taap tap taap tap, tap taap, tap taap tap tap, taap taap. taap tap tap, taap taap taap, tap taap taap, taap tap. tap tap taap tap, taap taap taap, tap taap tap. tap taap. tap tap tap, tap, taap tap taap tap._

_taap tap tap tap, tap taap tap, tap, tap taap, taap, tap tap tap tap, tap._

Shuichi could hear Rantaro's heavy breathing from the stairs.

What the hell happened?

He doesn't know how much time he spent waiting for an answer before the tapping came back from behind the door.

_taap tap taap taap, taap taap taap, tap tap taap. taap taap tap, taap taap taap, taap taap taap, taap tap tap, tap tap taap taap tap tap._

tap tap, taap taap. tap tap taap tap, tap tap, taap tap, tap.

_taap tap taap taap, taap taap taap, tap tap taap. tap tap tap, tap tap taap, tap taap tap, tap. tap taap, tap tap tap. tap tap tap tap, tap, tap taap tap tap, tap taap tap tap. tap taap, tap taap tap, tap. taap tap, taap taap taap, taap._

taap tap, taap taap taap, taap. taap, tap tap tap tap, tap taap, taap. tap tap, taap. taap taap, tap taap, taap, taap, tap, tap taap tap, tap tap tap. tap taap tap, tap tap, taap taap tap, tap tap tap tap, taap. taap tap, taap taap taap, tap taap taap.

...

A long pause.

_taap, taap taap taap, taap taap, taap taap taap, tap taap tap, tap taap tap, taap taap taap, tap taap taap. tap tap, taap, tap tap tap. taap taap taap, tap tap tap taap, tap, tap taap tap._

tap tap. taap tap taap, taap tap, taap taap taap, tap taap taap.

_tap taap taap taap, tap tap taap, tap tap tap, taap. tap tap tap, taap, tap taap, taap tap taap taap. tap tap tap, tap taap, tap tap taap tap, tap._

tap tap. tap taap taap, tap tap, tap taap tap tap, tap taap tap tap.

...

Shuichi felt bad eavesdropping like this.

Perhaps he should leave. This felt so wrong.

He looked away for a moment and left.

He had heard enough.

And he had no right to interfere. If Ryoma was already taking care of the matter, then he had no choice but to leave it to him.

After closing the door of his room, he looked at the notes he had taken.

They looked like a mess. But hopefully, he would manage to translate it.

He put the paper and the morse code guide on the desk and started writing.

...

After what felt like an eternity, he had the full dialogue -if he didn't count whatever Rantaro was rambling about for a moment.

~

_\- You sure this will work?_   
_\- Absolutely_   
_\- I trust you but this is insane I hope you know that_   
_\- Oh I know don't worry_   
_\- But if you do believe we can save everyone... then I will follow you_   
_\- Save_   
_..._   
_\- ?_   
_\- I have failed my mission was simply ?????_   
_..._   
_\- Calm down for a sec. Breathe. You good?_   
_\- I'm fine_   
_\- You sure as hell are not_   
_\- Not that it matters right now_   
_..._   
_\- Tomorrow it's over_   
_\- I know_   
_\- Just stay safe_   
_\- I will_

~

That's all he got.

But at least he got to learn one thing...

... It's that his auditor was indeed Ryoma.

Why, though? They could talk face to face. They have no reason to complicate things for each other. So why the morse code?

He didn't get it at all.

The second thing he learned from this conversation is that Rantaro was not getting any better.

But what could he even do?

Tomorrow was the final day. If they all survive the battle, they would finally be able to rest. And both Ryoma and Rantaro knew that.

Just one more day.

Shuichi laid on his bed, closing his eyes, a lot of things lingering on his mind.

Tomorrow they would fight.

They would end this.

Once and for all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time is ticking my friends and no corpse todayyyy
> 
> Also fun fact: Our squad is a bit stupid. For the code, it's far from one in a billion possibilities. It's 10^50 possibilities. :)
> 
> And finally, fuck morse code.


	41. Chapter 5: An oath to one's lost humanity - Daily life (part 5)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their attempt at raiding the exisal hangar may have failed, but they are not going to fail now. After all, today is the final day. Today, they are going to end this killing game.

_"..."_

_"..."_

_"..."_

_"Today."_

_"At last, I'll be free."_

_"I'll finally be free."_

\--

Day 21 since the beginning of the game.

7:00 AM.

Shuichi woke up earlier than he expected to.

He sat up crossed-legged on his bed, eyes slowly focusing on the other side of the room.

Not even a minute after waking up he could feel his heart racing in his chest.

He missed the moments that feeling was reserved to stress due to an exam.

Tonight they will have to fight for humanity's sake.

The stakes were too high for him. One misstep and they could all die. No matter how many times he tried to accept it, he just couldn't.

But now was not the time to be scared, nor to doubt.

...

Perhaps some of the others were awake as well.

Shuichi made his usual morning routine- one that could be the last.

He stepped out of the dorms, quietly closing the door behind him.

The 'sun' was slowly rising, although he could not sense any sort of warmth from it.

The violinist took out his monopad to see if anyone was awake.

And to his surprise, no one -aside from Ryoma- had left the dorms. Even Rantaro was in his room.

Somehow, that gave him a sense of comfort. At least he slept in a bed last night.

What could he even do in the meantime?

He glanced at the wisterias not so far away.

A few days ago, Kirumi and he were watching the sunrise from above the pergola. He had fought his fears to climb to the top, so perhaps he could try to do the same today, to fight one fear at a time.

He approached the structure and placed a hand on the wooden pillar.

Shuichi had managed to climb it up and down last time, so why not now?

After some clumsy attempts, he somehow managed to make his way up here, trying to keep his balance on the beams.

He sat down. This time there wasn't anyone with him. Just him and his thoughts.

At least it was peaceful.

He closed his eyes and tried to mentally rest a little.

This was one of the last moments he could be at peace before the fight.

...

But soon after, the silence was interrupted by the sound of footsteps.

"Didn't expect to see you up here."

He jumped at the voice and turned around.

Rantaro was looking at him from the ground.

"O-Oh... Hi Rantaro...."

"What are you doing up here?"

Shuichi glanced back at the beautiful morning colors. "Nothing. I know the sky is fake but watching the sunrise does help me mentally calm down a little."

Although he didn't look back at his friend, he could still guess he was contemplating the scenery as well.

After a moment, Rantaro grabbed one of the small tree's branches to get on the pergola. "Mind if I join?"

Even though he was a bit nervous, Shuichi couldn't refuse. "No... Go ahead."

After easily making his way up, he sat down next to him, legs hanging down under the floral roof and arms resting on his thighs.

To his surprise, he didn't speak at all. Both were staring at the horizon for what felt like an eternity.

...

"So, relaxing you say?"

Shuichi was almost startled. "Y-Yeah! You think so as well?"

The medic hadn't even turned his head towards him.

"... You could say that."

Somehow he didn't sound convincing at all.

Upon a closer look, Shuichi could see his hands gripping one another, and it looked like he was doing his best to refrain from shaking.

Overall a worrying position added to an emerald gaze that never healed from the last deaths.

The words he read in Kiyo's notebook were lingering on his mind.

He was the one in charge of helping Rantaro to get back on his feet as soon as possible. For both his own well being and the entire group's.

"H-Hey..."

Rantaro hummed. "What is it?"

It wasn't like he was the best therapist. Far from it. One word and Rantaro would go away, isolating himself like he did for the past two days.

He had one shot that he couldn't waste.

"Why... Do you care so much about helping people?"

...

Silence.

"I-I mean... Ever since the beginning you try to help us to the point where you don't even think about yourself anymore... Why?"

...

"To make sure others are alive and safe is the reason I exist on this planet. Simple as that."

This was not as simple as he says it is.

"You said it yourself back then, I know, but... How can you do that? How can you spend so much time and effort into protecting us all? I don't understand..." he almost desperately yelled.

"Some things cannot be explained. Even I do not know where this instinct came from. I just follow it because this is what feels right."

"And if it leads me to the freedom and safety of this group, then so be it."

An instinct...

"What about yourself? You're more than just an instinct! You're Rantaro, you're our friend! And... and..."

Shuichi trailed off. He didn't have the right words to spit out.

But what made him worry the most is the fact that Rantaro hadn't moved a single inch. His eyes kept staring at the horizon.

No response.

...

"Please, Rantaro... We're here for you. You don't have to bear this alone."

No matter what he said, the medic wasn't responding.

Shuichi felt his throat tighten.

Every second felt like a year passing by.

...

"It matters more than you would think."

He blinked. "What...?"

"I know that's what you think too. You can't tell everyone about your secrets to the risk of telling the wrong person."

"I do not know what you have discovered throughout the game and I am not going to ask."

"You never realize when eavesdroppers will take pleasure in listening to your own thoughts."

He froze. Did he... Did he realize that Shuichi knew about the morse code?

"Sometimes you have to take things into your own hands no matter the cost. Because even your closest allies can betray you in the end."

"It's a game where the boundary of trust and betrayal is nothing more than a thin line you can cross whenever you please."

"You could close your eyes and isolate yourself for the entire day and night, but you cannot achieve anything by never taking any risks. At some point, you have to put your life on the line and hope to get a pair of aces."

"Always be careful and never, ever lower your guard. Because one mistake and your pair of aces burns into ashes."

... And thus the refusal to talk about himself.

A fear of slipping up and end up killing the last glimmers of hope for humanity.

Shuichi glanced down for a moment. "I understand, but I... No, we realized you've been acting strange... You can't just expect us to give up on you like that."

He swallowed. "You're not okay, Rantaro."

...

Silence.

"Ha ha..."

Shuichi perked up.

Rantaro started laughing. He could only look at him giggling to himself- or at him? At this point, he didn't know in the slightest, but... That was not a sad laugh. That almost looked like a genuine one.

"There's really something wrong with me, isn't there?"

"I know that already. I know life has completely fucked me up from the bottom to the top."

"But what can I do? The only way I can move on is by putting a stop to this game."

"No matter how much my own conscious is begging me to stop and no matter how many painful memories it brings back to me, I won't stop."

"I won't be able to die in peace until I'm absolutely sure this game is over."

Shuichi held even more onto the wooden bar he was sitting on. "I..."

He perfectly knew changing Rantaro's mind was impossible. That was not the problem.

"Please just... Just promise me you'll talk to us after the fight. I can't go any longer knowing you're not taking care of yourself."

"I don't care about how many things you're hiding from us, I don't care if you have things you don't want to tell me! We all want you to get better so just please listen to us for once! None of us want you to suffer alone anymore!!"

He felt tears forming in his eyes.

But despite pouring all of his feelings out...

... Rantaro was still not looking at him in the eye.

The medic lowered his head.

"... Alright. But I need some time alone right now if you don't mind."

"Huh?"

Rantaro stood up.

"W-Wait! I'm not-

"I will think about it. However..."

He eyed him. "... I know I've only made you uncomfortable these last few days. Thank you for keeping up with me but I know it doesn't do any good to you. It's pretty obvious from the look on your face."

Shuichi felt his heart skip a beat. He couldn't disagree in the slightest. That was actually the painful truth.

But no one else aside from Kirumi is aware of this problem. He couldn't just give up like that.

"W-Wait, that doesn't mean you should not listen to what I just said!"

It was a bit late for that.

Rantaro took off his jacket, wrapped it around one of the wooden beams, and used it to get down.

He had to catch up to him before he ends up locking himself up in a room again.

The violinist knew that was not a good idea, but he had to get down fast.

He held onto one of the beams so he could get down, but...

"Ah!-"

... He let go of it. Shuichi tried to grab the vines but they were not strong enough to hold him back.

He painfully crashed on the ground.

Thankfully it wasn't too bad, the fall didn't do too much damage, but it still hurt.

"Shuichi!!"

Rantaro immediately ran up to him. "Are you alright??"

"Y-Yeah... I think so..."

His hands were stinging. But when he looked at them, he realized there were several cuts from the vines, letting out a small amount of blood.

"You're coming with me to my lab. Right now."

Shuichi didn't have time to protest. Rantaro grabbed him by the wrist and guided him to the third floor.

The fall did hurt but it wasn't like he broke anything. He could still move, although with some difficulty.

Once in his lab, Rantaro started going through the drawers.

"Sit down. I'm taking care of you. Do you feel any other injuries besides your hands?"

"My back hurts a little, but I don't think it is much..."

"Take your shirt off. I should check anyway."

It wasn't like he could refuse. Rantaro wouldn't let him go like this.

He did at told, putting the torn shirt aside. He would have to get a new one.

He watched Rantaro searching and taking out various bandages and bottles.

Shuichi looked at his hands again. The cuts looked pretty nasty on second thought.

The medic approached him and started treating the hand wounds with caution. Gentle moves that were mesmerizing.

From the disinfectant -the part that probably hurt the most-, to the bandages. He didn't even have to tell him if it was too loose or too tight, he simply applied it without a second thought, although still very carefully.

Even right now, he was living up to his talent.

"There. That's it for the hands."

Shuichi looked at the bandages. They were surprisingly comfortable. "Thank you, but... Do you think I'll manage to bear the weapons tonight?"

Rantaro hummed. "We'll give you lighter weapons. But in the meantime, I suggest you should try to find gloves to make sure the bandages won't get ripped off during the fight."

He nodded. "O-Okay."

The medic proceeded to help with his back. There weren't any wounds or anything that could require bandages, so he simply put on soothing cream and gave him some light painkillers.

Shuichi put his shirt back on, fastening the buttons. "Thanks a lot, Rantaro. I'm sorry I caused some trouble here."

"It's fine, don't sweat it."

Shuichi watched Rantaro putting things back where they were.

He then approached the door to open it. "Now let's just go back to... the dining hall..."

The medic trailed off, stopping in his tracks.

"Rantaro?"

He put a hand on his head. "It's fine, I'm just feeling... a little..."

Before Shuichi realized what was happening, Rantaro collapsed on the floor.

"Rantaro!!"

The violinist rushed to him. "Rantaro! Are you okay?!"

No response. At least he was breathing, just unconscious.

"No, no, no, no..."

He wrapped one of the medic's arms around his shoulder and tried to stand up to put him to bed.

_An unconscious body is very heavy_ , he quickly realized.

At last, he managed to get himself into a -barely- standing position when-

_*knock* *knock* *knock*_

He immediately turned to the door. "Huh?"

The door opened to reveal Kirumi.

The two stared at each other for a while before Shuichi realized he was holding onto an unconscious Rantaro.

Kirumi's expression was one of both concern and confusion. "What. Are you doing."

"... Help me, please."

"And what happened?" she approached Rantaro and help him up.

"He was treating a wound I got earlier and as soon as he got finished, he collapsed..."

The mercenary sighed. "I should have expected that, somehow."

The two helped to put him into bed. Kirumi put her hand on his forehead. "... He's burning. Get a wet tissue while I properly lay him down."

Shuichi applied the object where she told him. He didn't know if that would help or not, though.

They could only hope he would wake up soon.

Kirumi looked at the violinist, or more precisely, his hands.

"... May I ask what happened?"

_Shit._

He explained the story to her, how the two were talking on the pergola, then after a failed landing, Rantaro insisted on treating his wounds. At least he didn't have anything to hide this time, aside from the conversation itself.

"... I see." she turned to the medic. "He better wake up before the time limit. This is going to be a huge problem if he doesn't."

"Agreed... But what can we do?"

She narrowed her eyes at the sleeping teen. "I don't know. There's not much we can do while he is sleeping."

Shuichi looked at him as well. "He has been worrying me for days now... And yet we have no clue what is wrong with him."

"I would say that he collapsed from exhaustion, judging by how he was acting the past few days. Rantaro needs to rest, and he better stay in bed until we do the actual preparations for the fight."

"I know... Should one of us stay with him until he wakes up?"

"That would have been the ideal situation if we didn't have the final battle to prepare."

Shuichi winced. She was right... The more people preparing, the bigger their chance of winning.

He thought about their conversation. What did Rantaro mean by his words?

"He better talk to us after the fight... Because Kiyo is not with us anymore doesn't mean we should-

The door opened behind them.

The two immediately turned around to see Miu.

There was a long silence as she glanced at both the two and Rantaro sleeping on the bed.

"May I ask what's going on?"

Her tone was serious. Nothing like the Miu they are used to talk to, but rather...

_... The one he listened to back after the first day of the Sanzu garden, after her time with Kokichi in the room._

"M-Miu?"

"What. Is going on."

She approached Rantaro to get a better view.

Kirumi and Shuichi glanced at each other for a moment. He had no choice but to explain- although he omitted a lot of details, mostly about the conversation they had.

Right now was not the time to panic. It pained him to say it, but to address the problem in its entirety after the fight would be a wiser choice.

Miu stood by his side. "... The morning announcement will ring soon. Shuichi, go and change your shirt. Kirumi, could you please start making breakfast for everyone and a separate one for Rantaro and me?"

"No offense, Miu, but if Rantaro collapsed from exhaustion I do not think he will wake up for at least a few hours." Kirumi explained. "I can make one for you, of course, though."

She hummed. "Fair enough."

The two left the lab and closed the door.

"I didn't think Miu would get dragged into this as well." Kirumi stated.

Shuichi looked away from a moment. "I mean... She is very protective of us all, especially Rantaro... It's pretty useless to try to oppose her."

"Agreed." She said. "Do you want me to search for gloves while you change your shirt?"

Shuichi's eyes widened. "You would do that for me?"

"It isn't much. Just go to your room."

He smiled. "Thank you, Kirumi!"

The violinist walked back to his dorm. The moment he entered, the morning announcement rang.

Surely, the rest of the group would come soon.

A simple shirt, and another day of leaving the vest and tie behind.

He really hoped his injuries wouldn't handicap them too much.

At least his back and hands hurt a bit less now.

On his way back to the main building, he saw neither Kaito nor Kokichi, but perhaps it was too early for that.

He opened the door and saw Kirumi putting the plates down on the table.

"You're back."

The mercenary approached him. "Maki's lab had gloves in one of the drawers. I hope they are of your taste." she handed him a pair of plain black thin gloves that he put on immediately. Thankfully they fit him correctly.

"Thanks a lot!"

"Do not worry about it."

The two ended up preparing breakfast, leaving a small part for Miu.

Shuichi took it to the third floor.

Once arrived, he knocked on the door and opened it.

The street artist was cleaning up the lab.

"I got your breakfast. Should I leave it on the table?"

"Yes, please. Thank you."

He glanced at Rantaro again. "Do you... plan on watching over him until he wakes up?"

"For now yes. I've turned my back on him for far too long. He may be good at taking care of others but..."

"... It's about time I do it back for him."

Miu had a noble soul. It wasn't surprising she would start worrying at some point, but...

_Had she even the slightest idea of what was going on behind the scenes?_

"... I can't convince you not to, can I?"

They needed as many people as they could to train, and of course, that included Miu.

"Nope. I'm staying until I'm absolutely sure he wakes up."

As much as it pained him to say it, no one could even try to convince her otherwise. At least not now.

"Alright. Just come to us if you need anything, okay?"

She gave him a thumbs-up as he left.

After closing the door, he let out a sigh.

Hopefully, things would turn out okay for everyone. Not just for the fight, but everything after.

He went back to the dining hall.

He and Kirumi had to wait a few more minutes before Kaito and Kokichi joined them.

They had to explain the situation and how for now Miu wasn't going to join them for the last training sessions.

Breakfast was eaten in silence as usual. However, there were even fewer of them than usual. Just Kirumi, Kaito, Kokichi, and himself.

"What do we do now? It's the last day..." Kokichi asked.

"To be frank, I wouldn't risk doing serious physical exercises right now. We need all of our energy to fight tonight." Kirumi noted.

"Yeah! We kinda have to make a strategy too!" Kaito exclaimed. "We can't just say 'let's take the weapons and fight' without an actual plan!"

He was right. But right now, not everyone was here.

"But there are only four of us... We should at least wait for Rantaro and Miu to come back." he said.

"Agreed. For now, I suggest you all try to work on your aim. That's the least we can do right now." Kirumi suggested.

The group of four headed to Tenko's lab. Kaito had never done aiming exercises before, now that he thought about it.

Kokichi and himself had -although he spent a part of the 'training' reading Kiyo's notebook- already done some exercises, so the biker was the only one among them who hadn't.

He did end up having some trouble with the moving targets, but overall the training was paying off, for the three of them.

Since Kokichi and Shuichi already received training, they had better accuracy. Kokichi was better than him, though. He didn't even need darts exercises, but now that he thought about it, there was a possibility he was already familiar with them.

Unfortunately, Miu was not coming. And of course, neither was Rantaro.

"Should we... At least try to get those two?" Kaito asked.

"Miu said she would come with Rantaro after he wakes up, but... It's been a while, isn't it?" Kokichi fidgeted with his sleeve.

"She will have to train at some point and join us for the strategy meeting. We cannot leave her alone when we don't even know when Rantaro will wake up." Kirumi added.

Perhaps now they were more likely to convince her to join them, after spending several hours by his side.

"It's 12 PM anyway... Should we take a lunch break and then get Miu for the training and strategy? Assuming Rantaro will wake up later..." he suggested.

"I mean yeah... I know she can be really stubborn but we gotta do something." Kaito glanced to the side.

The group agreed and went back to the dining hall.

Of course, no Miu in sight. But to their surprise, the table was already set with meals in food cloches.

"Did Miu prepare everything for us?" Kokichi approached the table. "She’s not here, though…"

Kaito groaned. "And here I thought I was the stubborn one. I’ll be right back, just going to get her."

The biker left immediately, leaving the other three in the dining hall.

They decided to wait for the two to come back.

…

After five long minutes, there was still nothing.

"Should I… Should I try to see what’s happening?" Shuichi asked.

"It would be better. Although I’m starting to wonder whether the two are arguing or not." Kirumi said. "If Rantaro is still unconscious then I wouldn’t be surprised if those two started bickering about this."

She had a point. Miu was trying to help Kaito change back after the third trial, perhaps he would try to do the same?

Shuichi left the dining hall and started heading to the third floor.

But to his surprise, it’s on the second floor that he saw a frustrated Kaito, alone.

"I-Is she still not willing to come with us?”

The answer was obvious, but he asked anyway.

"I tried to tell her it was useless to stay by his side the entire day and that she didn’t need to do that but noooo! She has to!” he almost yelled. "I’m glad she’s here as the mom of the group but she does a little too much to my taste."

This was understandable. And Shuichi was getting sick of the selfless mindset.

"Still… Did you tell her we had to plan the strategy for the fight?"

"I did! But she said she needed time to think. Like I know she cares about us and everything but goddamn! She doesn’t need to devote her entire life to someone else!"

… Shuichi preferred not to comment on that.

"If she doesn’t come back after lunch, I’m getting her by force. I’m not letting her stay alone for the rest of the day." Kaito started going back to the first floor. "I know she cares about Rantaro and I do too, but this isn’t helping her."

Her caring attitude had started being contagious, Shuichi noticed.

The two boys went back to the dining hall, their mission unsuccessful.

Kirumi and Kokichi did wait for them to come back before starting to eat.

"I guess you couldn’t convince her…" Kokichi lowered his head.

"I’ll be checking again later. She said she wanted to think about it." Kaito responded.

Shuichi really hoped he will manage to convince her.

Lunch was silent, with more tension than usual. Even though there were seven of them, it looked like only four of them were alive.

_8 hours until the time limit._

They started putting things off in the kitchen, Kaito thinking about what he was going to say to Miu.

"H-Hey, Kaito…"

The biker turned to the source of the low voice.

"What’s up, Kokichi?"

The silver-haired boy fidgeted with his sleeves. "Can I… Can I try to convince her to join us? I know you said you would try to do so but I want to talk to her…"

The taller man blinked a few times. "You sure about this? Miu is stubborn as hell, I know that better than anyone."

"Perhaps Kokichi is right." Kirumi put down the old rag she was holding. "Bickering back and forth probably won’t do any good to any of you. But that is just my opinion."

The biker stared at her for a moment. "I know her better than you, y’know? We may be stubborn as hell but she’s my best friend."

Shuichi swallowed. "Yes, but you saw how it went, right? I think... I think Kokichi should be the one to talk…"

Kaito stayed silent, pondering. "… Alright."

"I’m leaving this to you, young man!" he said as he ruffled Kokichi’s hair- although he didn’t seem to appreciate it much.

"O-Okay!" he said as he put his hair back in place, heading out, and leaving the three to clean the rest of the table.

Without Kokichi, Shuichi could feel even more tension in the room. He knew full well Kirumi and Kaito were not getting along well.

Hopefully, they would form a better relationship soon.

Even after they were done, Kokichi still hadn’t come back.

"What do we do now? I trust Kokichi with this, but still- We have to do something in the meantime." Kaito leaned against the wall.

Kirumi thought for a moment. "We still have to establish our strategy. It would be better if we go to Tsumugi’s lab for this. I know Miu, Kokichi, Rantaro, and Ryoma are not here but we don’t have a choice at this point."

She was right. They didn’t have much time left. And besides, by going to the fourth floor, they would have to pass next to the medic’s lab. Perhaps they could get a glimpse of the situation.

The trio started going up the stairs. But the moment they entered the corridor leading to the stairs and Rantaro’s lab, they saw both Miu and Kokichi closing the door behind them.

"Miu! You’re here!" Shuichi almost exclaimed, approaching her.

She didn’t seem that enthusiastic to see them, though. "Yeah… I know I gotta watch over Rantaro, but… I can’t just leave you guys like that. That’s unlike me."

The street artist slapped her own cheeks. "Alright! What are we doing now? Training?"

"Not exactly. We’re establishing our strategy to fight Monokuma and the exisals." Kirumi explained.

Miu hummed. "Okay, but we don’t even know what type of weapons Ryoma prepared for us! Rantaro may know, but I know I don’t."

Shuichi thought for a moment. "I think Ryoma is preparing diverse weapons of different weights adapted to all of us. Although I’m not really sure…" He stared at his gloved, bandaged hands for a moment. "At least Rantaro told me I would get lighter weapons for the fight, so I think there’s at least some variety."

"In any case, it is better to start planning our strategy as soon as possible." Kirumi added.

"W-Wait… Won’t Monokuma eavesdrop on us?" Kokichi asked. "He could listen to our plan and find a way to counter it… Even the walls have ears."

He raised a good point.

"So, we need like, a closed small room to make sure he doesn’t come and listen?" Kaito crossed his arms.

"Then how about the dorms? We can lock our rooms, Monokuma can’t enter! We should just keep our voices low, or better- only write on paper what we want to say, like secret agents!" Miu exclaimed.

Only writing on paper so Monokuma doesn’t hear them…

It almost sounded familiar.

The group headed back to the first floor to leave the main building.

They also established that they would try to wake up Rantaro if he doesn’t come back by 5 PM.

But for now, they were going to the dorms. Or more specifically, Miu’s dorm. She volunteered to be the host since she claimed to have a lot of paper and pens already in her room.

She opened the door and bent down, gesturing for them to go inside. "Welcome to the mighty lair of the firefly of the city! Only allies of mine are allowed to enter."

Shuichi chuckled as he stepped into the room. "Thank you, Miu."

Kaito snickered. "We talking nicknames now? I’ve been called ‘Silver Rider’ for ages!"

"Sometimes people call me ‘Apollo’, although I don’t think that’s very fitting…" Shuichi nervously scratched the back of his neck.

Kirumi sighed. "At least you three can be proud of your nicknames. ‘The Devil’s right arm’ is not very flattering."

Shuichi felt chills at the words. "That’s… Original…"

Kokichi sat on the ground. "At least it’s better than being known as a supernatural catastrophe…"

This conversation turned dark very quickly. Which is not what he wanted in the slightest.

"Um… Should we change the subject?"

"Very well."

"Agreed."

Miu gave them all a stack of paper and pens for them to write and suggest ideas. She turned on her monopod and started sketching the academy’s map to visualize themselves better.

To debate without talking was hard, but doable. At least they were making progress.

Kokichi would serve as a distraction since he was very fast and hopefully he would have bombs to do damage to the exisals.

Kirumi and Miu would form a team as well as Ryoma and Kaito to inflict a lot of damage- one experienced fighter and one who could still fight despite not being in the field.

Shuichi would have to place bombs in specific places and with the help of the others, guide the exisals to a deadly trap.

However, they would have to explain to Rantaro that it would be safer for him to stay on the sidelines in case someone gets hurt.

They were still planning the details, but at least everyone had a role now.

But as they were about to continue, there was a knock on the door.

They all stared at each other for a moment.

Miu hesitantly approached the entrance of her room.

The person behind the door knocked again, but something felt familiar.

_Four knocks, loud and clear._

This was exactly what Rantaro did back when they had to retrieve Ryoma from his lab a few days ago.

"Miu! It’s Rantaro, you can open!"

She raised an eyebrow. "Huh? How can you know?"

A voice came from behind the door.

"Because he learned how I make myself known."

And the voice, even though he could barely hear it, was indeed Rantaro’s.

Miu immediately opened.

"You’re here! I was so worried about you!" She held him in a firm embrace that visibly startled him.

"Hey, hey, it’s fine. I was just a bit tired, that’s all."

Shuichi briefly glanced at Kirumi, who did the same.

Miu locked the door behind her and started writing on the paper.

__We’re writing so Monokuma can’t eavesdrop on us! So take a pen while we explain what we're doing!__

Rantaro nodded, took the green pen and a sheet of paper.

__That’s pretty smart.__

She smiled.

Kirumi started writing the strategy and Rantaro took the time to listen- or rather, read. He did ask a few questions but wasn’t opposed to what they came up with.

It took some time to reexplain, but at least they got to remember better their roles and positions.

But then came up the question they all feared.

__What is my role in this?__

They all stared at each other until Kirumi took her pen.

__Since you’re the only one who can provide medical assistance, you’ll stay on the sidelines, or at least not take too many risks. Is this fine with you?__

Rantaro stared at the message for quite some time before sighing.

__As much as I hate this, it would indeed be wiser. But are you all going to be fine by yourselves? No offense, but I am still one of the only three who have experience in combat.__

Miu immediately started responding.

__Count on us! We trained a lot, you know? I know we’re far from real fighters like Kirumi, Ryoma and you, but we can still manage! Besides, we still have Ryoma’s weapons with us!__

A short moment of pure silence.

__You’re right. Sorry for doubting you.__

__It’s fine! But we still have to establish a lot of things for the plan. Shall we continue?__

He nodded.

The group carefully planned their tactics, where everyone had to be, and what they had to do. They would have to be cautious and strike perfectly.

Shuichi started feeling more and more stressed due to the incoming battle, but they would have to do this. They were this close to the end of the game.

Time passed as they used more and more paper to write their messages, sheets of paper scattered across the floor filled with different writings in different colors.

About two hours later, they were finally done.

Shuichi leaned back, sighing. "Good grief, it's over..."

"Hey! We're not done! We'll have to put that entire strategy in place tonight and win!" Miu exclaimed.

Rantaro stood up. "But Shuichi is right. I think we’re done here. However, we still have to explain the strategy to Ryoma. It’s about time we finally get to see what he crafted for us."

"Agreed. Shall we go to his lab?" Kirumi added.

"Yes. I think now is the perfect time to plan the final details."

Shuichi nodded.

The group left Miu’s dorm with the papers in a pouch not to leave any hints on what they are going to do.

They were ready to inform Ryoma, and thus headed to the main building.

But the second Miu opened the main door, something didn’t feel quite right.

_It looked like another blackout occurred._

Shuichi frowned. "Again?"

Kirumi narrowed her eyes. "One time could have been an accident, but now I am starting to think this was done on purpose."

Rantaro looked at the dark corridor. "Let’s just hope Ryoma was still able to finish the weapons even with those suspicious blackouts."

The group glanced at each other and started going up the stairs.

Shuichi didn’t like this in the slightest.

The whole building was in the dark yet again, and it sure as hell looked like someone was doing this voluntarily, as Kirumi said.

Was this the way the mastermind was trying to stop them?

Once on the fifth floor, Rantaro approached the door.

He knocked four times as he always did, Shuichi supposed.

…

No response.

Rantaro frowned. "Come on…"

He knocked again.

Still no answer.

Shuichi started feeling more and more nervous.

The medic placed a hand on the handle and tried to open the door, hoping it wouldn’t be locked.

And to everyone’s surprise, it was not.

The lab looked plunged in the dark, with only the emergency lights slightly illuminating the area around the door.

"Ryoma?" Rantaro called.

…

Nothing.

They glanced at each other, fearing for the worst.

The group started moving through the lab to get to his working panel.

In the distance, Shuichi could see the faint light of a ceiling lamp, flickering in the darkness of the engineer's lab.

_How did that light survive the blackout?_

But the second the workbench was into view, he felt his heart drop.

The dark atmosphere was not enough to hide the atrocity his eyes were offering him.

A small chair was knocked down on the floor next to the table.

A rope was attached to one of the metal beams, and connected to it, illuminated by the faint white light of the barely surviving lamp…

_… was the hanged body of Ryoma Hoshi, the ultimate weapons maker._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's so sad Monokuma play Hope Searching
> 
> Aaaaaaaaaaand here we go again! Place your bets, my friends. It's chapter 5 after all~


	42. Chapter 5: An oath to one's lost humanity - Deadly life (part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just as everyone was ready to fight, another tragedy happened. Ryoma, their friend, was found dead, hanged in his lab. The killing game restarted yet again...

...

...

**_"Ding dong, dong ding!"_ **

...

No...

**_"A body has been discovered!"_ **

Not...

Not again...

**_"Everyone, please gather in the ultimate weapons maker's research lab!"_ **

Shuichi could only stare at the unmoving body in front of him.

Ryoma... Committed suicide...?

But why?

They were so close to ending this game, they had a strategy, they knew full well how they were going to fight Monokuma and the exisals, so why?

Why restarting the killing game?

Shuichi tried to detach his eyes from the corpse.

The others were as in shock as he was, but the moment his gaze landed on Rantaro, he could immediately feel something was wrong.

The medic was staring at Ryoma with an unreadable expression.

It wasn't fear, shock, nor sadness.

Not a single emotion could be seen on his face.

His eyes were locked on the unmoving body of his former friend.

Perhaps he hadn't yet realized the reality in front of him.

His partner, the one he trusted the most, was dead.

Kirumi and Shuichi glanced at each other.

It was like both realized what was going to happen.

Rantaro had already gone mad from the supposed betrayal of Ryoma during the last trial, he was already slowly crumbling under the pressure of leading a continuously dying group, so to think Ryoma broke their promise to fight against Monokuma and ended his own life...

_What was left of Rantaro now that the plan he carefully crafted in details was shattered to pieces by his most trusted friend?_

"My! My! I was almost worried you guys would actually not kill before the time limit!"

Shuichi couldn't even look at the bear.

"But it looks like we're finally getting another trial! How exciting!"

Kaito slammed his fist against the nearby box. "What trial is there to hold?! Ryoma committed suicide!"

"Uh-uh! The rules of a class trial always remain the same!"

_"Once a murder takes place, all surviving students must participate in a class trial."_

"Only accidental deaths don’t deserve the luxury of getting a class trial, so if the victim and blackened are one and the same, a class trial will still be held!"

Miu was also furious. "You're not even denying it! There's no point in organizing a class trial if we already know Ryoma is the one who ended his own life!"

Monokuma was stirring the cocktail he was holding. "I didn't *say* he committed suicide, I said that *if* he ended his own life, a class trial would still take place! Now shoo! You have a crime scene to investigate!"

"What's the point?"

Shuichi felt his heart skip a beat. He turned to the source of the voice.

Rantaro was now facing the bear.

"We'll come in the courtroom and then start the vote immediately. Since none of us have done the deed, you will not execute anyone, and we'll go back to our rooms as if nothing ever happened."

The medic slowly marched towards Monokuma.

"Or maybe you are hinting on the fact that Ryoma didn't commit suicide, and in that case, you are giving an advantage to the spotless, which means you are taking sides, and this isn’t what the objective judge you claim to be would do. This trial is already unfair, if you ask me."

He narrowed his eyes at the bear.

"Unless there is something you want us to find out during the investigation?"

The bear started sweating. "N-No, not at all! This is definitely a fair trial and you definitely have to solve this case in its entirety and vote for the real blackened!"

It felt like Monokuma was lying. Or at least he was hiding things from them. But what would he want them to find in their investigation? What is there to investigate, even?

"A-Anyway! Now shoo! I have important matters to take care of! Like finding this freaking kid I swear..." The robot muttered the last part.

Shuichi frowned. "What did you say?"

"I said I have to find my missing cub!" he yelled, then put both of his paws on his mouth. "Oops! Did I say that out loud?"

... What?

**Obtained truth bullet! Missing Monodam**

"Here! Have the Monokuma file and get to the investigation already!" Monokuma exclaimed before leaving.

"Wait!"

It was too late.

The six who were still alive were left in the lab, a hanged corpse right next to them.

They all looked at each other.

"What... What do we do?" Kokichi asked, visibly unsettled by the situation. "The answer is right here..."

"But Monokuma was hinting that it may not be a suicide..." Shuichi muttered.

"And yet the supposed other killer wouldn't have anything to gain from this. Unless they were willing to kill because of the time limit, but then again, it doesn't make sense that they would disguise the death as a suicide." Kirumi added.

She had a point. To survive alone would be pointless.

And Shuichi just remembered something.

Ryoma's lab was always locked with no other way to enter than the main door, and he would respond to Rantaro only. That's what he learned from the past few days.

**Obtained truth bullet! Locked lab**

"But still, Rantaro, you said Monokuma wanted us to find out something?" Miu turned to the medic.

"I was just throwing out theories and it looked like I was right. But the question is, what does Monokuma want us to find that even _he_ couldn't find." he replied.

That was very odd. Monokuma always seemed to know everything that was happening in the academy.

Perhaps Rantaro was wrong, but...

It really looked like Monokuma wanted to flee their interrogation and make them investigate.

Maybe there was indeed some truth in Rantaro's theory.

It looked like he was focused on the case the second Monokuma appeared, which was... Not the reaction he expected, to say the least.

_What does Rantaro even have in mind?_

...

"Do we... start the investigation anyway? Maybe we'll find out about what Monokuma was talking about..." Miu suggested.

"That would be following the orders Monokuma gave us, but if we do not take any risks we'll never know what he is hiding." Kirumi continued. "I suggest we investigate but keep our deductions to ourselves, just in case."

_"If we find out a truth that not even Monokuma could find, then we’ll have the high ground."_

Shuichi nodded. "I agree, but... What can we even investigate?"

"It's just like Tsumugi's case..." Kokichi muttered. "We don't even know what to do."

"Shouldn't we investigate Ryoma's lab?" Kaito asked. "I mean, we've been together the entire day, if someone tampered with a certain room we would have known."

Shuichi perked up. "Hold on, when did Ryoma even die?"

"He could be dead for several days for all we know!" Miu exclaimed, shocked by her own statement.

"Except Ryoma made our weapons for the failed raid of the hangar yesterday. Your argument doesn't add up." Kirumi crossed her arms.

"Besides, the body is still fresh. I would say he died several hours ago at most." Rantaro noted.

Shuichi took out his monopad. "Perhaps the Monokuma file indicates more information?"

Turning the item on, everyone looked at their screens.

_Monokuma file #5_

  * The victim is the ultimate weapons maker, Ryoma Hoshi.
  * The victim's body was discovered in the ultimate weapons maker's research lab.
  * The time of death is unknown.
  * The cause of death is strangulation.
  * No other injuries were noted on the victim's body.



**Obtained truth bullet! Monokuma file #5**

"This doesn't help us at all!" Kaito exclaimed. "Everything written on this file are things we already know!"

Shuichi glanced at Rantaro to try and guess what he was thinking.

The medic was staring at the file, unreadable as always.

He turned off his monopad without a word and approached the control panel.

The others could only look at him wondering what he was up to.

After pressing a few buttons, he lowered the hook to the ground.

He placed one foot on it, wrapped his arm around the chain, and gripped it firmly.

"Can someone make the hook go to the highest point so I can reach the beam?"

Kirumi stared at him. "What exactly are you planning to do up here?"

"I want to lower Ryoma's body so I can inspect it. I can't exactly do an autopsy on a hanged body."

The mercenary walked towards the panel and stared at it for a moment. She pressed a button and Rantaro started going up.

Once he was next to the beam, he climbed it with ease and walked on the narrow path as if it was completely normal.

He sat down in front of the knot. "Can two of you hold onto Ryoma while I cut the rope?"

Kirumi raised an eyebrow. "And how exactly are you going to do that?"

He thought for a moment. "... Hand me one of your knives. I know you have them."

Shuichi saw the others turning to the mercenary with looks of concern.

"Why the fuck do you have knives on yourself?" Kaito asked.

The young woman sighed. "I'm a trained fighter. What exactly did you expect."

Kirumi reached under her skirt and took out one of her sharp knives. She stepped backwards and threw the weapon up. Rantaro caught it mid-air easily.

She walked back to Ryoma and put the chair away. Miu swallowed before following her.

The two girls wrapped Ryoma's arms around their shoulders and Rantaro started cutting the rope.

After the weapons maker was freed from its deadly grasp, Kirumi and Miu laid him down on the floor.

Shuichi approached the control panel to bring Rantaro down.

The medic stepped down and faced the dead body in front of him.

The silence was deafening, and Shuichi couldn't even begin to understand how Rantaro was feeling right now.

"... I'll make the autopsy. You guys can investigate the rest."

It was clear from his voice he wanted to be alone.

"Hey, didn't we say we should investigate this lab?" Kaito asked, who visibly didn't catch on to what Rantaro was trying to say.

"I doubt we will find hints in this lab only. I don't know where, but perhaps we should leave Rantaro to his job for now." Kirumi already started walking towards the exit.

Miu shot a glance at Rantaro, who was still staring at the dead Ryoma.

"Should... Should one of us stay behind?"

Shuichi didn't know if this was a good idea, but because of how silent Rantaro was, it was hard to tell if he minded.

They looked at each other for a moment, worried about how the medic really was holding up.

He thought he had moved on pretty quickly, but that clearly wasn't the case. He simply wanted justice for Ryoma, to get to the bottom of this- and whatever Monokuma was hiding about his death.

"Maybe we should leave Rantaro alone, for now." Shuichi muttered.

Kokichi briefly looked at the medic. "You're probably right."

The group finally made their way out.

Shuichi closed the door behind him and turned to the others.

"What... What do we do now?"

...

No response. They had hope that they were finally going to end this game, and the moment they were about to do so, another death they didn't think about occurred, and it was Rantaro's best friend of all people.

The one Rantaro seemed to have talked to in secret multiple times, even going as far as to communicate in morse code to make sure no one would successfully catch on to what they were saying.

To investigate what was clearly a suicide because of what Monokuma was supposedly hiding from them...

Nothing made sense anymore. That was just torture.

"... I'll try to find Monokuma. Perhaps I can get answers out of him." Miu started walking away.

Kaito immediately followed. "I'll go with her."

Shuichi was left with both Kirumi and Kokichi.

"Do you... have any clues on what we could investigate?" Kokichi nervously asked.

Kirumi leaned against the wall. "I want to know what the blackouts were all about. Although I am not sure how we could investigate these."

There were exactly two blackouts, as far as he knew.

"I mean... The first blackout was yesterday, right?" Shuichi said. "It was at least a few hours long..."

"It happened while we, aside from Rantaro and Ryoma, were all in the warehouse. I don't think any of us could even remotely be accounted responsible." Kirumi continued.

"And it was just in the main building! The hangar wasn't touched at all..." Kokichi added.

**Obtained truth bullet! First blackout**

"I do think the two blackouts are related, although I fail to understand what was the purpose of this move." Kirumi pondered.

"Maybe we'll find info somewhere? There must be a way to investigate..."

"Isn't there a computer room? I don't know much about computers but maybe it can give us a hint..." Kokichi suggested.

"This entire building is the victim of the blackout. Even if the computer has info, I doubt it will be functioning in this current situation." Kirumi noted.

He didn't think about that detail.

"Then I'm out of ideas..."

"I mean, our current blackout isn't that different from the previous one, right?" Kokichi asked. "We didn't realize there was one because we were in the dorms, so it only touched the main building again."

"The thing is, we were not here when it started. It could have started right before we entered the building just like it could have started hours ago." Kirumi added. "We know the beginning of the first blackout but not the end, while for the second blackout, we do not know either in the slightest."

Both blackouts were still a mystery, then.

**Obtained truth bullet! Second blackout**

Would it really help with Ryoma's case? Probably not. But just as Kokichi said, it was like Tsumugi's case. They didn't know what they were searching for.

...

The group stared at each other.

"H-Hey..." Kokichi muttered. "I don't want to doubt any of you but..." he trailed off.

"What is it?"

_"... What if it wasn't a suicide, somehow?"_

Shuichi almost jumped.

The mercenary narrowed her eyes for a moment. "We were all together the majority of the day, so most of us didn't even have time to do anything unless it was at nighttime, which I doubt is the case since Rantaro mentioned Ryoma's death was several hours ago at most. Miu was absent this morning and Rantaro was absent for most of the day, but that's it."

However, that still left those two as suspects...

_A part of him prayed that this was indeed a suicide, as harsh as it sounded._

**Obtained truth bullet! Kirumi's account**

And now they were left again in silence.

...

"I do not have a single clue on what we can investigate because of the blackout. This is frustrating." Kirumi crossed her arms.

Shuichi hummed. "I mean… Ryoma’s lab really is the only place where we could find hints… Should we still go there?"

Kokichi glanced away. "I… I know that after H-Himiko’s death I… I wanted to be alone, so I don’t know if t-this is a good idea…"

"Except we don’t have a choice. Miu and Kaito left to get Monokuma and we don’t know what place could even give us hints about what Monokuma is searching for." Kirumi noted.

"Perhaps we should investigate as quietly as possible…?" Shuichi suggested. "I know to disturb him would be disrespectful, but maybe he would understand?"

The three stared at each other.

"Ryoma’s lab it is."

The trio went back to the room, quietly opening and closing the door. They forgot about how dark the lab was.

Kirumi immediately started going to the back of the lab, but the moment Kokichi and he started to follow her, she gestured them to be quiet.

For a moment Shuichi forgot about the other two being incredibly stealthy- for different reasons.

Once the workbench was in view, Shuichi noticed Rantaro was reading what was written on a blueprint. It looked like the autopsy was already done.

_However, he would not do the same mistake twice._

"M-Maybe we should tell him we’re there? I don’t think he would react well if he noticed our presence and didn’t tell him…"

Kirumi glanced at him for a moment, like she just remembered what he told him a few days ago.

"You’re right."

She stood up and approached the workbench, still illuminated by the flickering light that started giving Shuichi a headache.

The sound of her heels echoed loud enough for Rantaro to notice and turn around.

"You’re back."

"Sorry if we’re interrupting anything, but there isn’t much to investigate outside of this lab."

He put back the paper on the table. "I never said any of you had to leave. I just said you guys should investigate something else other than Ryoma’s body."

…

One day, maybe, he will cease worrying Shuichi.

Had he even taken the time to process his death?

"A-Are you sure?" Kokichi hesitantly asked. "We can investigate quietly if you want…"

"It’s fine."

Shuichi swallowed.

"Isn’t there a flashlight or something to help us? This place is so dark…"

The moment he finished his sentence, the room went entirely black.

He simply heard something small falling on the table, then the ground.

"U-Um…"

"This has turned into a difficult situation."

“Monokuma!!"

Rantaro's voice echoed through the lab.

"Get over here. We cannot investigate properly in those conditions."

"Hey! Hey! I am not a servant nor a maid! There is someone here to help fulfill your desires!"

The robotic voice came from behind, the sound of his light footsteps getting louder as he approached them.

He could not see it, but Kirumi was definitely rolling her eyes at the bear.

"If those are the conditions of your investigation, then so be it!"

Shuichi could hear someone turning around.

"Which means the blackouts are not accidental. Someone is responsible for them. That is one new confirmation, thank you."

Rantaro.

"Ack!"

"May I ask, is it because you don’t _want_ to repair the blackout or because you _can’t_?"

…

Silence.

"I’m taking it as a ‘I can’t.’ Thank you for the answer. Which does confirm that you are not the one who provoked it to mess with us, and it is indeed one of us who has done the deed. Now-

"Enough! Just take these and investigate for real already! That’s not how an investigation works!"

The sound of something rolling on the ground was heard, and Shuichi felt a small object touching his feet.

He bent down to take the item- something that felt like a flashlight. He turned it on and finally he could see in front of him.

Other flashlights turned on as well. Monokuma had given one to each of them before leaving.

Everyone turned to Rantaro.

"… And that confirmed what I just said was true."

Someone among them… Responsible for this? But not many people could have even done so.

He would have to solve this mystery later.

… Now that he thought about it, Miu and Kaito would probably not manage to get anything out of the robotic bear anymore.

**Obtained truth bullet! Monokuma’s account**

"I think we can go back to the investigation now." Rantaro declared.

Kirumi and Shuichi quickly glanced at each other.

Rantaro seemed to know exactly which questions to ask Monokuma, what would make him stutter and reveal important clues.

_Was it something he just knew how to do, or was it deeper than that?_

He really hoped he wasn’t looking too much into that.

"A-Alright… I’ll try to investigate what I can…" Kokichi walked away.

"… Then I’ll do the same." Kirumi went the other way.

Shuichi swallowed. If the autopsy was done, perhaps it revealed something else.

"H-Hey Rantaro…"

"Yes?"

The violinist approached the body. "Did you find anything else on Ryoma…?"

Rantaro put a knee down. "Ryoma died one or two hours ago at most, and the cause of death is hanging. There’s no doubt about that. Look."

He slightly moved Ryoma’s head to expose his neck, marked by purple spots that gave Shuichi chills.

"The hematomas on his neck are here, so Monokuma wasn’t lying about the cause of death being strangulation. However, if, let’s say, someone tried to strangle him with a rope, a cable, or anything else, those hematomas would be far more pronounced than that."

"There would be also signs of struggle, on both the killer’s body and Ryoma’s." he took Ryoma’s hands to show him. There were slight stains of soot, but nothing that looked like blood.

**Obtained truth bullet! Rantaro’s autopsy**

… At least there wasn’t any mystery surrounding this. Which was expected from what is clearly a suicide.

"A-Alright…"

He had enough of dead bodies. Perhaps he could look around for more hints.

Earlier, when the lab went completely dark, he heard something fall near the table. What was that?

The violinist approached the table and tried to investigate near it. And to his surprise, there was a small object on the ground. He picked it up to take a look at it.

The object was a circular magnet, grey with a familiar blue symbol on it.

The one that was also on the hacking guns- Ryoma’s sigil.

Did it come from the lamp?

**Obtained truth bullet! Strange magnet**

Speaking of weapons, perhaps he should try to find what Ryoma already created.

Shuichi started looking around. If the weapons maker was trying to keep them secure, then perhaps they were locked in one of the boxes.

However, it seemed like both Kirumi and Kokichi were investigating them already, so he should try to look somewhere else.

He went around the lab without any objective in mind. Just finding something perhaps related to the case.

At some point, he stumbled across an object leaning against one of the boxes in the back.

After closer inspection it was… Kaito’s metal baseball bat?

There were a few scratches on it, like someone used it to smash something hard enough to resist it.

_Scratches definitely not done the day they destroyed the pool area’s window._

Other than that, the bat was clean. Not shining clean, as it seems to have been dirtied a bit by whatever the person using it smashed, but there were no stains on it.

**Obtained truth bullet! Used baseball bat**

Shuichi glanced at Rantaro, who was still reading the papers on the workbench.

He approached him to see what these were all about.

"What are these?"

"Blueprints for weapons and tools. Take a look if you want, although I doubt you will be able to understand anything. I know I don’t."

The medic handed him the papers.

There were different plans and sketches on them. Some looked like the bombs they had not actually used a few days ago, and some looked like the hacking guns they had used in the death road of despair. But another one caught his attention.

It looked exactly like the magnet he found earlier. Which meant this was indeed one of Ryoma’s crafted objects.

However, nothing on the paper indicated what it was used for. Simply what materials should be used and how it was supposed to be assembled.

He also found a blueprint for what looked like an overcomplicated lock, for some reason.

There were some other blueprints about different bombs, from explosive ones to electrical ones, and heavy weapons that looked like they could blow up more than just the exisals.

At least Ryoma did try to craft the weapons, but…

_… Why suddenly giving up, if you could call it that way?_

**Obtained truth bullet! Weapons’ blueprints**

Shuichi gave back the blueprints to Rantaro. "Thank you… Although I didn’t understand much either."

"No problem."

Somehow, Shuichi wished Rantaro showed at least a little bit more emotion than this.

He started walking back towards the boxes to see if either Kirumi or Kokichi found anything.

The violinist suddenly jumped at a very strange noise in the distance- like a small explosion, or electricity?

He approached the source only to see Kirumi coughing.

"Are you okay?!"

She waved her hand to make the smoke go away. "I’m fine, don’t worry."

He approached the box, although he could not climb it. "What happened?"

The mercenary seemed to have tried to manipulate something. "I’m not sure. All of these boxes have huge locks, so I tried to break one. But the moment the blade of my knife touched the thing, it exploded."

Ouch.

"Oh… But is it okay now to open?"

She shook her head. "It looks like a defense mechanism. I cannot touch it. Although…"

He could not see it properly, but it looked like she was making sure no one was listening.

"I am not sure since I cannot feel pain, but it looks like the lock both creates a small explosion and sends a strong electrical charge to whoever tries to touch it."

Oh.

"Hold on, I have gloves! Maybe I can try!"

"I highly recommend you not to, Shuichi. One wrong manipulation and you could end up dead."

"I know what I’m doing! Help me get on the box!"

"Get some thicker gloves first, idiot."

Shuichi sighed, approached the workbench once more, and took the pair that was on the table. It seemed to have belonged to Ryoma. They must have been used for his manipulations and looked safe enough.

Kirumi stepped down and approached the control panel. Once Shuichi was firmly holding onto the chain, she moved it up so he could take a better look at what she was inspecting.

After moving it down, she went back and climbed up the chain by herself.

She sat down next to Shuichi. "Here. That’s the lock."

On a closer look, it had the exact same appearance as the sketch on the blueprint he found earlier.

After taking a deep breath, Shuichi placed a hand on the lock, which…

… didn’t do anything at all.

He tried to move the thing around, and his eyes suddenly widened.

There was the exact same magnet as the one he found next to the table.

"I found one of these earlier! I don’t know what they are for, though."

He tried to detach it, but he could not even move it an inch. It was like superglued on the lock.

"Weird…"

"… I am not sure how these locks work. Perhaps we should leave them be, it would be safer."

"Agreed…"

A strange lock indeed, that would definitely secure the boxes from anyone but him.

**Obtained truth bullet! Trapped locks**

"Hold on, what about Kokichi?! He must be manipulating these locks as well!" Shuichi exclaimed.

"Kokichi also has gloves, mind you. But perhaps we should tell him not to move these too much."

Oh.

The two climbed down the box and started searching for the smaller boy.

But before they could find him, the door of the lab opened again to reveal Miu and Kaito.

Rantaro, who was done with the back of the lab, approached them. "Anything new?"

The street artist groaned. "Nothing! We searched for Monokuma everywhere to ask him questions but nothing!"

… Perhaps he should tell them about what happened earlier.

"It’s fine. Don’t worry about it."

Kokichi stepped down from his box as well. "I mean… We did get some info out of him so it’s alright… I think."

"Then what about you guys? Did you find anything interesting?" Kaito asked.

"Nothing really relevant to this so-called case." Rantaro crossed his arms. "We've been searching Ryoma's lab through and through for a while now, and the blackened is pretty much established at this point."

And yet it felt like they hadn't found anything at all. Shuichi knew they were not searching for the culprit anymore.

They hadn't even found a 'why', nor what Monokuma was supposedly hiding.

Miu glanced away for a moment. "Say... Have any of you found some kind of will? Or even a letter?"

Shuichi froze. He glanced at those who were in the lab with him.

_There wasn't any._

"N-No... I didn't find anything at all..." Shuichi muttered.

"So he just... without even telling us why?" Kaito was just as confused as everyone else.

"... Nothing. I've looked through his workbench about a hundred times already and there wasn't anything." Rantaro shook his head. "Which does surprise me. Ryoma is not the type to make huge decisions without explaining why."

Perhaps it was better to trust Rantaro on this.

"Do you think Monokuma stole the letter? Ryoma could have given us info in it... Maybe Monokuma judged it wasn't a good idea to leave it be, and we know that he can mess with us whenever he wants to..." Kokichi suggested.

"That's a possibility. We'll never know unless we harass him until he tells us the truth."

**Obtained truth bullet! Absence of a will**

"Should we go back to our investigation?" Kirumi asked.

"It's not like we have anything else to do." Rantaro walked away.

He was way too calm for Shuichi's liking. Was it because he got over his death quickly or because he was hiding his emotions far better than anyone else here?

Each and every single one of his actions terrified him.

But now wasn't the time.

The violinist turned to Miu. "Have you... found anything in your research?"

She sighed. "Not really. I do wonder what the 'missing kid' thing is all about, though."

Kaito frowned. "We saw Monodam like two days ago, remember? He was just walking around when we were searching for the dumbells."

The street artist nodded. "Yeah, I do! But then nothing. I don't remember seeing him even once ever since then."

**Obtained truth bullet! Kaito's account**

"Strange... But it's not like it's going to help us." Shuichi noted.

"I know, I know... This whole situation is giving me a migraine." The taller man complained.

"God, do I agree."

After telling Kokichi about the danger of the locks, the group went back to their investigation. Miu followed Kokichi and Kaito followed Kirumi and Shuichi since they didn't have any flashlights.

There was a long, uncomfortable silence between them as the mercenary tried to look through the lab.

"All the boxes are locked. There isn't anything to see here." she stood up and brushed the dust off her skirt.

The three approached the back of the lab. Now that he had a better view of the thing, Shuichi noticed the packs of food and water. Those were the supplies he had taken to survive without leaving his lab. Some of them were empty, but that was normal.

Nothing much to see here.

"Hey, what the heck is that?"

Kaito pointed at something that was hidden behind one of the food packs. However, with the darkness, it was hard to tell what it even was.

Kirumi approached it and took out what looked like... a bomb?

"W-What is this?!" Kaito exclaimed.

"Obviously a bomb that was not used. But it's different from the ones we had to raid the hangar." Kirumi noted.

Something about thios bomb felt familiar. Was it on the blueprints?

Shuichi went back and started going through the papers until he found the one. "There!"

He tried to read it to perhaps learn a bit about it.

But upon a closer look, he remembered that none of them explained anything about the use of the tools.

"And of course we don't know what this is..."

Kirumi tried to inspect the weapon. "What I'm wondering is why this was out in the open. All the boxes are locked, no exception, and I thought they contained all the weapons Ryoma made. But not this unknown one."

Why the change of pattern?

**Obtained truth bullet! Unknown unused bomb**

The investigation was confusing- not more than the previous one, but still, in a different way.

This entire time they didn't know whether they were searching for the blackened, something Monokuma didn't find out, a missing monokub, or something else entirely.

Maybe if they continue investigating-

**_Ding dong bing bong!_ **

Goddamnit.

The announcement was a bit different. Monokuma asked them all to put back their uniforms correctly as it was a 'requirement for the trial'. They had all changed their outfits to feel more comfortable -and piss off Monokuma-, but now they had to change back, unfortunately.

The three stared at each other for a moment.

"... I guess we have no choice." Kirumi sighed.

"Well we got our answer, so let's just change back, go to the courtroom, vote since this bear forces us to, and then think about what we should do next since there aren't any fucking weapons available now." Kaito started walking away, leaving the two alone.

...

"I have a bad feeling about this." the mercenary muttered.

Shuichi looked at her. "You mean for the trial?"

She narrowed her eyes. "I feel like we both missed something important and that Rantaro is not going to take this trial well, even though it should be extremely short."

If this was their first trial, Shuichi would have disagreed, but... Now he wasn't so sure.

"Yeah, but... We still gotta go and see, right?"

Kirumi sighed. "I know."

Some of them had to go back to their dorms to change, including Shuichi. He put back the vest and tie and looked at himself in the mirror.

He really wasn't the same person as before the game, was he?

Shuichi could barely recognize himself. Eyebags, messy hair, and of course, the constant expression of fear he could never drop even if he tried.

If only he could go back to the happy version of himself.

To go back to his uncle's house.

To stop fearing for his life.

To stop worrying about making someone react the wrong way.

To stop worrying at all.

This situation was completely hopeless.

He shut his eyes down and left the room. Now wasn't the time to do an existential crisis.

He found the others and the group made their way to the shrine of judgment in silence.

Only six of them were alive now. Every time Shuichi tried to think about it, he could feel himself wince.

Ten of the last survivors of humanity had died in three weeks.

They stepped into the shrine but already had the answer on who the blackened of this case was.

Ryoma killed himself. There was no doubt about that anymore.

Rantaro's autopsy proved it, and no matter what happened outside of it, the outcome was still the same.

The elevator ride was as silent as always.

But something didn't feel quite right. It was like they were going deeper than usual.

The door opened and Shuichi's eyes widened.

It wasn't their usual courtroom. This one didn't have any stained glass, nor a giant clock nor anything. It actually felt like a real courtroom, with wooden decorations, scarlet and gold curtains enveloping the walls, and red carpets on the black and white checkered floor. At least this room didn't give him a feeling of dizziness.

"I remade the courtroom specifically for you guys! After all, this fifth trial promises to be grandiose! I couldn't resist redecorating a little!" the bear exclaimed, laughing.

Everyone took their spots, ignoring him as always.

They would vote and leave.

That was it.

Monokuma explained the rules everyone knew by heart by now.

However, it wasn't like they could protest.

Shuichi could only hear white noise at this point. By looking around, there were almost only black and white portraits with a bright pink cross on each of them. More spots were taken by the horrendous reminder that they were all dying one by one than actual survivors.

How many trials would they have to go through before being free?

How many deaths would have to occur for the bear to be satisfied?

...

The courtroom was left as silent as a graveyard, although that was expected from a trial where there wasn't anything to say.

But before he could even think about how to break the silence, Rantaro raised his hand.

"I'm the one responsible for Ryoma's death."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We'll  
> Be  
> Right  
> Back


	43. Chapter 5: An oath to one's lost humanity - Deadly life (part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone investigated as much as they could on Ryoma's death, supposedly a suicide... But Rantaro seems to have something else in mind.

...

...

He...

He couldn't have heard that right.

Surely he misunderstood something.

But it seemed everyone had heard the exact same thing.

He slowly turned his eyes to the green-haired medic.

"You..." Shuichi muttered. "You what?"

"You heard me. I am responsible for his death."

The bluntness in his voice made his skin crawl.

"H-Hey..." Miu stuttered, gripping her podium. "I... You..." she could only stumble on her own words. "Y-You don't blame yourself for Ryoma's death, do you...?"

Kokichi looked down. "I-I know how it feels... Y-You shouldn't have to do that... I-

"I know what I said."

Somehow each and every single one of Rantaro's words felt like a hit to the face.

He couldn't be serious.

Surely it was just like Miu and Kokichi said- he _feels_ responsible. He couldn't have done it. He couldn't have killed him, right?

...

_Right?_

There was no doubt about it. He literally showed Shuichi what he found on Ryoma.

He explained that the traces on his neck proved that he hanged himself.

He observed the lack of injuries on his hands.

Shuichi saw with his very own eyes the proof no one else was involved in the engineer's death.

_He committed suicide._

Those three words kept echoing through his head a thousand times.

He swallowed.

"Rantaro... You said it yourself to me earlier during the autopsy... Ryoma... Ryoma committed suicide!"

The violinist could feel tears forming in his eyes as he desperately yelled, a firm grip on his podium.

Rantaro froze for a moment.

"Shuichi..."

He slightly turned to face him, bright green, empty eyes staring onto his very own soul.

_"When did I ever say he committed suicide?"_

...

Shuichi could only stare dumbfounded at Rantaro.

"I said 'He willingly put himself in that situation'."

"I never said he committed suicide."

Shuichi could feel his throat tighten.

He could only stare back at him in horror.

He was telling the truth. Those were the exact words he used earlier. Shuichi assumed Rantaro implied a suicide, but...

...

Was he... Was he really the blackened...?

Did Rantaro really kill Ryoma?

None of the others could mutter a single word either.

Everyone shared the same dread on their faces as reality was sinking in.

Rantaro had guided them during the investigation, he had done the autopsy, showed them clues, and even tricked Monokuma into giving them information.

Why would he do that and then admit his crime immediately? 

But the oddest thing he noticed...

_... was that Monokuma was also staring at Rantaro with the same expression of horror on his face as everyone else._

It looked like no one in this room expected this to happen.

But Monokuma...?

Why was he so surprised?

Did he expect Rantaro not to say anything? He had blackmailed Kiyo into staying silent last trial... Why didn't he expect Rantaro to do the same, supposing he is indeed the blackened?

What did Monokuma know about Rantaro that they didn't?

_What on earth was happening??_

Kirumi swallowed. "You have to be joking."

"No, I'm completely serious."

The confidence Rantaro had in his voice was terrifying. The firm tone he used was no act. He meant those words completely.

"Although to say I killed Ryoma... May or may not be a lie. I said I was responsible, not that I murdered him."

The situation was already confusing, but things were getting worse by the second. First, he says Ryoma put himself in that situation, then that he was responsible, then that he didn't kill him?

"R-Rantaro... You... W-What are you talking about?" Miu muttered with a shaky voice.

He glanced at the street artist for a second, then turned his eyes to the bewildered Monokuma.

And then... He started laughing.

"What's wrong, Monokuma? You didn't expect that, did you? You thought I would keep quiet as everyone does their little survey until they figure out what happened? You thought you could rely on everyone else to solve this case for you?"

He arbored a grin. A malicious grin that did not fit Rantaro at all. At least not the Rantaro he's grown to know. "You have no idea how satisfying it is to catch you off guard."

To catch him... off guard?

The bear stuttered. "W-Well, t-that's not what-

"Face it, Monokuma. I've seen through your little act the second Kiyo admitted being blackmailed by you."

"You want long trials that you and whoever the fuck is the mastermind can laugh at. You want the sweet mystery, the struggle of us trying to solve a meticulously planned murder as you already know the answer."

_"So how does it feel to have all your chances to solve an impossible murder case annihilated?"_

A... A what?

Shuichi didn't understand. He didn't understand anything at all.

And Monokuma, although he didn't seem confused in the slightest, could only stare at Rantaro, unable to respond. He looked...

_Defeated._

"That's what you wanted everyone to find out. You wanted them to find clues that could help _you_ solve this case. Everyone had already concluded Ryoma committed suicide, you knew no one would try to investigate any further. That's why you pushed them to continue the investigation, even if that meant giving hints that make the trial unfair."

"And since you love long trials, you didn't give any more clues even though you could have done so. Which does make me wonder about your priorities, now that I think about it."

"But the thing is, you don't know what happened. You don't know anything about this case at all. You know there was a blackout, and then nothing. Because as it turns out..."

_"... Your sweet little cameras were disabled when Ryoma died."_

Cameras? He had never seen any cameras in the academy...

What was Rantaro on about?!

But the way Monokuma was standing, desperately looking for a way to respond...

Was he right when he said Monokuma didn't know what really happened? But what did any of this mean?

Kaito slammed his hands on the podium. "That's fucking enough! Rantaro, what in the ever-loving shit are you talking about?! You're rambling about cameras, impossible murder and trials... What the fuck happened?! What does any of this have to do with Ryoma's death?!"

The medic slightly turned his head and smiled at the biker. He spoke with a voice that sounded like a cheap version of Monokuma. "So you ask and so I shall answer!"

"You freaking little-!" the bear groaned.

Rantaro held a firm grip on his podium, looking at every single frightened face in the courtroom to make sure they were listening.

"This is the truth of the case!"

_[-Closing argument-](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYdImXwmee8) _

_This entire case started this afternoon at 3 PM exactly. I fell unconscious this morning after taking care of Shuichi's wounds, so *we* had to reschedule everything later than what we had planned. Although as long as it was before the time limit, it was fine._

_Ironically, me collapsing actually really helped me putting an act and deceive you guys for as long as I needed to._

_I woke up alone in my lab, so I figured I must have collapsed for whatever reason. After checking my monopad, I realized all of you were in the dorms, far away from the main building. So surely you were training or planning something for the "final battle"._

_Or at least that's what I concluded from Miu's note, since she wrote about you guys doing a final strategy meeting._

_By the way, this "final battle" was just a mere excuse to put our plan into place, but Monokuma knows that already._

_Me collapsing and all of you away from the main building was actually a windfall! I didn't have to find any excuse to separate myself from the group, and none of you would question what would happen next. Not until the act was already done._

_I went up to Ryoma's lab and he let me in. We were ready to do this entire plan, as risky as it was._

_He had created a lot of useful tools for us to use, but the most important ones were the electronic bombs._

_Those bombs were made to disable any electronic device, and of course messing with anything that runs with electricity. They were the weapons that created the blackouts._

_You see, something Ryoma and I figured out quite early was the fact Monokuma knew everything that was happening in the academy. So surely, there must have been cameras and microphones to observe us. For example, if we ended up breaking a rule, he would immediately react and punish us._

_But those cameras' purpose wasn't only to observe us and make sure we weren't breaking the rules, they were just as useful for the murders._

_Monokuma always knew who the killer was, who was responsible for someone's death. Whether it was with Tenko, Maki, Angie, or Korekiyo. He would say we were right for the vote, but none of us questioned anything because we were right every single time._

_So the goal of this act, simply put..._

_... Was to create a case where Monokuma didn't know who the killer was and thus making him unable to render a fair judgment._

_The plan was fairly simple, really. Once we were in the lab, Ryoma activated one of the bombs, and since the room didn't have any windows or openings, we were finally free from his all-seeing eye. Free from all the hidden cameras and microphones tracking each and every single one of our movements. In other words..._

_Monokuma doesn't know anything that happened after Ryoma activated the bomb._

_There were also magnets made to prevent the bombs' effects on the objects they were placed on. After all, we still needed some light to complete the plan, so we couldn't afford to accidentally destroy every single light source in the building._

_Ryoma volunteered to be the victim of this so-called case. We attached a rope to the metal beam, made a noose, and placed the chair underneath it. Ryoma stepped on it, passed his head through the hole, and..._

_This is actually the moment no one knows about._

_I was in this room with Ryoma, alone and not observed by anyone._

_Since Monokuma is very adamant about who is considered the blackened, we might as well use it to our advantage._

_During the third trial, he said, and I quote, “Only the person who does the final blow is the blackened.”_

_Ryoma is standing on the chair, and the next thing you know, he is dead._

_Right after that, I left the room, joined you guys, and pretended nothing happened._

_After preparing the "strategy" for the final battle, I asked you all to come with me to Ryoma's lab so we could get this over with._

_Now tell me. Between Ryoma and I..._

_... Who is the one who kicked the chair, dealing the final blow, making him suffocate and ending his life?_

_Is it Ryoma Hoshi, the ultimate weapons maker?_

_Or is it me, Rantaro Amami, the ultimate medic?_

...

The same deafening silence settled in the courtroom.

This was way too much to handle at once.

Rantaro was not joking. He had been serious from the start.

He _was_ at least partially responsible for his death.

But Ryoma wasn't killed. Rantaro didn't kill him.

_It was an assisted suicide._

"So, Monokuma."

Rantaro turned back to the bear.

"What will you do now? Do you have any proof of the identity of the culprit? Is this trial even worth continuing?"

Monokuma still looked shocked by what just happened. "E-Excuse me, I always know what is happening in this academy, no matter what!"

"Then go ahead. Do you know who the culprit is?"

"W-Well, why don't you ask the rest of the class?"

"And why is that? Do you seriously think they know more than you do?"

Rantaro was as calm as ever. A striking contrast between him and the robot who was not able to form a single sentence without stuttering.

"T-This is a class trial! The rules of the class trial are t-that this class must find out who the culprit is, I am but a humble judge in this!"

"Say, what is the point of doing that when even you don't know who the culprit is? Who's to say you wouldn't just accept whatever vote settles in, even if wrong?"

"After all we both know you just want this game to continue. You are all bark and no bite. Every single threat you did to us, whether it was the time limit, or even voting wrong during a class trial, those are nothing but words to force us to continue this killing game."

"You even accepted the first answer we gave you when it came to Keebo's death, which was Kaito's 'maintenance failure', even though it was proven wrong by Tsumugi! Who's to say you wouldn't do the same here?"

...

Shuichi instinctively looked at the others.

None of them knew what to do. None of them knew what to say.

It almost felt like they weren't here. That this trial was nothing more than a battle between Monokuma and Rantaro.

What even are Rantaro's intentions? What does he gain by doing this?

What did _Ryoma_ gain by accepting to become the victim of this plan?

But more importantly, what would happen in the end?

There were four possible outcomes. Either Monokuma lets an innocent Rantaro live, he lets a blackened Rantaro get away with his crime, he executes Rantaro rightfully for killing Ryoma...

_... Or he executes an innocent Rantaro._

This felt unreal.

Shuichi could only stare at the ground, helpless and unable to even think about what to believe.

No normal person would do this.

No sane person would be willing to throw their life away for such a senseless plan.

He thought he had realized it by now, but everything he had seen up until this class trial, from Rantaro's wrath during the fourth trial, his downright obsession with saving the group, the multiple breakdowns that happened during the past few days, even the conversation they had this morning...

... This was nothing compared to the madness he was witnessing now.

He had to face reality and look at it in the eyes. A reality with a mesmerizing green gaze he would probably remember for the rest of his life.

Rantaro Amami.

The one who started off as a devoted war medic willing to help everyone however he could, and ended up like...

...

...

The dreadful silence settled back in the courtroom.

As everyone was letting reality sink in, Rantaro was keeping his eyes on Monokuma, like he was waiting for his opponent to move the next chess piece.

"Well, well! That is no excuse for this trial not to unfold as it always had!"

The medic stayed silent for a moment, then sighed. "Come on, Monokuma. Look around for a second." He waved a hand, showing the robot each and every single one of their terrified expressions.

"I told everyone the truth. I am the only one who could have possibly done something to Ryoma aside from himself since I am the only one he responds to when someone knocks on the door of his lab. There is no class trial to hold anymore. This case was unraveled and everyone was here to listen to it. There is nothing else to say. Only _you_ need to make a decision."

"Will you let me leave this courtroom alive to the risk of letting the blackened go spotless, or will you execute me to the risk of killing someone innocent?"

"Hey! Hey!" Monokuma raised his hand to call everybody. "There's a class trial going on that you need to participate in-

"JUST STOP IT ALREADY!!"

Shuichi raised his head to face Miu, who had her hands on the podium and was facing the ground. He noticed tears falling out of her eyes.

"We get it!! Ryoma is dead, there's a trial that we don't have a damn reason to continue and Rantaro may or may not be the killer! We know that already, what the fuck is there to say?!"

Shuichi could only feel bad for her.

Had she stayed by his side, they could have stopped the plan. And yet they convinced her to leave and go with them for what was only a distraction to keep them away from interfering with the grander scheme.

A scheme they had no idea was happening right before their eyes.

Rantaro had managed to manipulate them all for days now, and they hadn't suspected a single thing.

And yet... He could have.

After all, Shuichi had read Kiyo's notes about him.

Even he had his doubts about him using Miu's emotions against Monokuma.

_Why didn't he think that Rantaro would do the same to the rest of the group?_

Shuichi felt... guilty.

He could have prevented this.

He could have told himself and the others that Rantaro was a manipulator from the very beginning. But... He believed in him.

He believed that despite everything he had done, Rantaro was there for the group. That he was...

_A good person._

But he did nothing.

Nothing at all.

He kept being passive, let all those events happen before his eyes, and yet did nothing.

His vision of Rantaro may now be tainted black, but to believe he himself was innocent in this story would make him a hypocrite.

...

He was just as bad as everybody else, wasn't he?

He wanted to cry. To run away. To lock himself in his room in shame.

It was his fault.

His fault this case happened in the first place.

There was no point in denying it anymore.

...

"Is this... Is this really it...?" Kirumi muttered.

Rantaro turned to her. "Are you doubting anyone else here?"

"That's not what I said, I just-" she stopped for a moment. "What were you thinking?!"

She slammed her hands on the podium. "An assisted suicide? Ryoma accepting to end his own life for an impossible murder plan? What were you two even thinking?! What is there to gain by killing yourself and taking the risk of being executed for nothing?!"

"What do _you_ gain from this, Rantaro??"

Rantaro chuckled. "Who knows? But I've realized something by now, after four trials and three weeks of us trying to free ourselves from this madness."

He started fidgeting with his necklace.

"The only way you can end madness is with an even greater madness."

"You have seen it last trial. Good sense isn't the way to end things. It only brings you back to the start."

"To surpass the insanity this killing game has brought to us all, you have to go beyond the limits of rationality."

"To let go of all reason and thoughts that hold you back and accept that you have to commit the worst to achieve the greatest."

He put the emblem in his hand, then firmly held it.

"Even if it means sacrificing yourself for this greater cause."

Shuichi could only listen to the senseless ramblings of his friend.

This was a nightmare. Surely it was nothing but a bad dream and he would wake up.

...

No. This was reality. Nothing but the harsh reality.

"Going back to the subject, it's pretty clear there is nothing else to explain about this case. Unless any of you have any questions?"

He glanced at everyone to get an answer, but he was only met with the quietness induced by the collective shock.

"I... I don't want to believe this... You... I..." Kokichi couldn't find the words to say.

"But no one else could have done it!" Kaito yelled. "We were together the whole time! Only Miu was not here this morning because she was watching over Rantaro!"

He couldn't say anything to disprove that claim. That added to the fact that he knows better than anyone else besides Rantaro that Ryoma would only respond to the other soldier, Miu was out of the question.

"I don't... I don't know what to believe anymore..." Shuichi mumbled under his breath.

"Me neither..." Kaito replied, with the same defeated tone.

He glanced at Miu, who couldn't even face anyone, and certainly not the person she had loved and respected all this time.

That must be an even greater shock for her. To have the person you looked up to for three weeks just admitting that they deceived them all and orchestrated someone's death.

"No matter how many times I try to turn this entire case up and down to find even a single thing that doesn't fit... I couldn't." Kirumi admitted. "But now my question isn't even 'what is the truth'. To be frank, I couldn't care less about the answer."

She raised her head, facing Rantaro. "My question is 'why?' You've repeated God knows how many times that you would not hesitate to throw your life for ours. So Rantaro, what do _we_ gain from this? What does participating in an assisted suicide have anything to do with us if you believe the time limit was nothing more than an empty threat??"

"The 'why' is unimportant. What matters right now are the facts. Not the reasoning behind it. And it seems either you guys have accepted the truth or are trying to accept it."

Monokuma suddenly started laughing. Although it was clear he was the most nervous of them all. "Ohohoho... Am I hearing a s-split opinion?"

"There's no scrum debate to hold. There is no other solution to this case and you know it."

The bear immediately stiffened.

"But you know, as we kept repeating the same nonsense over and over again, that actually got me thinking. Say, Monokuma..."

He put a finger on his chin, turning his head to his opponent.

_"Who are you and the mastermind working for?"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't even have anything to say at this point


	44. Chapter 5: An oath to one's lost humanity - Deadly life (part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rantaro... was actually serious about being the one responsible, blackened or not. And it seems that even Monokuma was not expecting such a twist.

...

Monokuma froze.

As did everyone else in the room.

"Who... what?" Kaito frowned.

Miu slightly raised her head. "Working for? But... Humanity is dead! We've seen it for ourselves and the flashback lights confirmed it! Who Monokuma would be working for if everyone is dead?!"

Rantaro kept staring at the bear, one hand holding his head with the elbow on the podium and the other with the fingers tapping at a slow, constant rhythm.

The eery sound only aggravated the distress everyone was feeling- and that seemed intentional.

To Shuichi, it felt like Rantaro was living in a completely different world.

Had he seen the same things with the flashback lights as them?

Had the madness gnawed at him enough for him to start creating impossible scenarios?

The more he thought about it, the more he could feel his heart aching in his chest.

And the continuous silence on Monokuma's part didn't make things any better.

The tapping stopped, and Rantaro spoke again.

"I mean, come on... Why else would you keep this trial going on and on? You sure as hell don't look like you're enjoying this for someone who claims to jack off of others' despair. And since the mastermind is the one controlling you, I'm guessing they are not having so much fun either. So why keep it going? You could give up right now. To create an excuse. To avoid this situation completely."

"But no. You ask us over and over again to continue this trial that ended as soon as it started. My guess is..."

_"... that someone else is asking you to do this. That you can't afford to end it all right here, right now. And that the 'mastermind' is only a pawn in the greater scheme that this killing game is."_

"Am I correct?"

Monokuma shook his head. "Excuse me?! I've been listening to your little nonsense for long enough, but this! This is way too much!"

Rantaro shrugged. "And yet that might be why you're so adamant about the rules. And also why you continuously make empty threats to keep this going... You're impatient. Or your employer is impatient. They don't want to wait more than three or four days for a murder to happen."

"So what's the reason for all of this? Punishment? Pure sadism?"

"Although I doubt this is the latter. Everything looks way too rational to be nothing but a senseless massacre. There's a reason why-

"ENOUGH!! This is a class trial! Not some kind of backstory reveal about myself! If I want this class trial to continue, then it is going to continue!"

The medic giggled. "I managed to strike a nerve, didn't I?"

"Fine! Then let's change the subject, shall we? Since mister know-it-all is so smart!"

_"Where is Monodam?"_

...

That... came out of nowhere.

But why bring it up? Monokuma wanted so badly to talk about the death of Ryoma, so why bringing his missing son into this?

Rantaro raised an eyebrow. "That's an odd way to change the subject, don't you think?"

Indeed. At least _that_ was a rational thought.

"This! Is my trial! I can do whatever I want! So shoo! You guys also have to solve this little mystery! My sweet Monodam is also a victim in all of this!"

"What makes you think any of us know anything about the whereabouts of your kid?"

He hadn't seen Monodam in days now. Not ever since the announcement of the new time limit.

"You guys should know since one of you is responsible! I would never *ever* lose my kid! You guys _have_ to solve this case, it is an order of the headmaster of the academy!"

"Or else what?"

Monokuma groaned. "Or else, _THIS!_ "

The bear pressed a button on his throne, and some kind of pad appeared on the armrest.

... What was he doing?

Shuichi didn't like this. He didn't like this at all.

He pressed one of the buttons and Miu's podium went forward.

The street artist was confused. "Hey! What the hell?"

Holes opened in the floor, then the heads of what looked like sharp iron spears poked out, all targeted at the young woman.

"Ah-!"

Her eyes went wide.

"MIU!!" Kaito yelled, reaching a hand towards her.

It all went so fast.

Monokuma slammed a button.

Miu raised both of her arms to protect her face.

But just as the spears were about to pierce the artist...

"THAT'S ENOUGH!!"

... Rantaro's shout echoed across the room.

Shuichi stared at him. He was tightly gripping the podium, breathing heavily with a look of pure panic on his face.

On a closer look, he also seemed to be shaking.

The medic swallowed.

"... Alright. I'll bite. What do you want us to investigate?"

That was a brutal change of attitude.

But it's not like that was new.

Miu stared terrified at Rantaro.

The others didn't even have time to process what just happened.

Their friend almost died right in front of their eyes, impaled by a dozen spears had Rantaro not retracted what he had just said.

Which meant those were not empty threats after all.

This entire trial was nothing but a poker game. To expose the other's bluff and pay the consequences if the opponent was not actually just spouting lies.

Shuichi instinctively looked at Kirumi, who did seem to ponder over the sudden change of heart. Although it was not that clear, she did look fearful as well.

Rantaro was so focused on exposing what he thought was the truth of the killing game, then completely turns around?

It almost felt like...

_... Monokuma knew exactly what to do to make him comply._

Those two had been going back and forth with jabs and harsh deductions ever since the investigation. They seemed to know each other like long time enemies who had learned the other's weaknesses over the years and were endlessly and ruthlessly fighting until one of them finally crumbled.

Monokuma knowing Rantaro's weaknesses didn't surprise him somehow, but the opposite was a completely different story.

No matter how many times Shuichi told himself that the medic was completely irrational, his deductions really seemed to affect Monokuma. Had they been false, the bear would have just laughed.

But the silence, the confusion, the stuttering, the sudden change of subject...

_What parts of those ramblings were actually true?_

...

Miu's podium slowly went back in place, right next to the person who could have indirectly killed her.

She seemed hesitant to even look at him again.

The bear seemed satisfied with his action. "Puhuhu... It's fairly simple. I just want you guys to find out who is responsible for the disappearance of my precious little cub!"

What had this trial become?

At first, Monokuma claimed this trial would be grandiose, then it was entirely ruined by Rantaro, and now they had to do an investigation on Monokuma's missing son.

But how would that influence the outcome? Did Monokuma just want to make this trial longer out of spite?

At this point, it was useless to ask why.

Everyone glanced at each other, waiting for one to speak.

Monokuma seemed to know someone here was responsible for Monodam's disappearance, but if that person was the only one to know about it, then they weren't going anywhere.

If no one decides to speak, then what was the point?

How could they even solve this 'case'?

Kaito broke the silence. "Miu and I saw Monodam two days ago wandering around but that's it..."

His friend nodded. "He didn't look like he was going anywhere in particular... Just a stroll in the main building."

That's what they told him earlier. And he could believe them.

After all, they had no reason to lie back then, surely they had no reason to do so now.

Kirumi glanced at Rantaro, who had gone silent. "Do you know anything about this?"

The green-eyed boy looked... nervous. "Not a clue."

Shuichi instinctively glanced at Monokuma, who was observing Rantaro.

Either he knew everything or nothing about that happened. But there was no way to know.

Kirumi slowly drifted her gaze away, clearly skeptical about his answer.

...

This investigation had just started and it was getting nowhere. No one knew anything about this.

The silence lasted for what felt like an eternity, even though it must have been one or two minutes long at most.

"Hey Monokuma, are you sure he didn't just get lost or some shit?" Kaito asked. "Cuz clearly we have nothing to talk about."

"Ab-so-lu-tly! You have investigated five murders and a half, you should know by now how to-

"This is just a waste of time." Rantaro interrupted the bear.

And in a split second, everyone's eyes were on him once again.

"Let's cut to the chase, shall we?"

... So he knew.

Monokuma looked annoyed. "Hey, hey, you can't just-

"Ryoma and I also made sure Monodam wouldn't bother us anymore. Yesterday, we provoked the first blackout and got rid of him."

...

...

What... the hell?

"We simply lured Monodam into the lab, used the hacking guns to turn him off and the bombs so we could be at peace with the cameras. Ryoma butchered him afterwards to make sure he would never get up again and that's it."

...

The bluntness will never cease to disturb him, and neither will those strange mood swings.

Monokuma looked pissed, but less than when Rantaro explained the entire assisted suicide to the rest of the group.

After all, he must have at least half-expected this to happen, considering how little they knew about the case.

But... If this was about Monodam not bothering them anymore, then why? He already said the 'final battle' was a distraction, and it was just so they could do their questionable plan in peace.

He could understand if this was so the exisals couldn't be piloted by anyone anymore, but if he planned from the start not to fight this battle, then why?

And more importantly, why keeping this information away from them?

Had he... Had he planned the suicide after Monodam was out of the way, realizing they still didn't stand a chance against Monokuma?

This trial raised more questions than it answered them.

"So what now? I mean..."

_"It's not like you know how this entire thing turned out in the end."_

...

Do they really have to deal with a second impossible murder case in their hands?

However, if Monokuma didn't know the answer either, then they were back to the start.

There were no answers.

And it seemed like Monokuma was out of cards to play.

But something on Rantaro's face made him doubt.

He still looked nervous. Way too nervous for someone who managed to trick their captor twice in a row.

The medic was trying to hide it. However, it seemed Monokuma had seen through this deception attempt as well.

"My, my! I _totally_ didn't expect this to be the outcome of poor Monodam's trial!"

A clear lie.

"W-What's going to happen, then?" Kokichi mumbled. "There's no real blackened here..."

Will they even have to vote? If that's the case, for who?

"That's for you to decide, Monokuma. After all, even if you somehow knew the answer about any of the cases, there's no way anyone else could have known or could deduce. And if you want your precious game to continue..."

_"... Then you will have to give an explicit answer."_

...

While Shuichi was completely shocked by both of the cases... That was one impressive way of defeating Monokuma's morals.

To force him to make the trial unfair in order to continue.

Monokuma stood there for a long time. Like he was frozen. Inactive.

... What was going on with him?

Rantaro suddenly laughed. "I didn't think he would react that badly to the entire bullshit we pulled off! What do you have to say to that?"

"More than you would expect, actually."

Shuichi jumped, as did most of the others.

"You *do* realize you didn't do exactly as you planned, right?"

Rantaro frowned. "... What do you mean?"

He looked disturbed. Like Monokuma had found another weakness of his.

"My precious cameras work better than you would think!"

He wasn't even denying the existence of the hidden cameras anymore.

_"And I did get some footage of the incident you are talking about... A *huge* violation to rule #17! My, my!"_

Rule... 17?

The rule he implemented after their failed raid in the hangar...

_Any person damaging the headmaster's personal property (Exisals, kids) will be faced with punishment._

"Wasn't that rule created after Monodam's death?" Kirumi raised an eyebrow.

"Puhuhu... The rules are the rules!" the robot laughed.

Rantaro held onto his podium. "Although to prove that I supposedly violated the rules, you will have to show footage. You cannot just throw this information without us being able to confirm what you just said."

_"So you ask and so I shall provide!"_

...

Huh?

Monokuma pressed a button, and the screen that was usually used to show the voting results came down.

The bear turned it on, and then appeared...

... The fifth floor. Right in front of the door of Ryoma's lab.

Rantaro's eyes widened. For once, he was taken by surprise just as much as everyone else.

Someone came on the screen- Monodam approached the entrance and reached for the handle with his little mechanical hand.

The door slightly opened, and a small portion of the lab became visible.

But a familiar silhouette suddenly rushed in- Rantaro, who took out a hacking gun and pointed it at the small robot with a finger on the trigger. A flash blinded the view as the door was closing, and then...

...

Nothing.

Just an error screen.

His eyes were telling him the harsh truth.

"Puhuhu... Would you look at that!"

The bear rewound the footage and zoomed on the medic's hands. And on a closer look...

_... He did pull the trigger._

The others could only stare in shock as the screen turned off.

...

...

Rantaro...

He was the one who killed Monodam.

Not only did he explain the plan and admitted being one of the culprits, but there was also clear footage of the incident.

There weren't any more doubts now.

And as ironic as it was, this case, supposed to be one of the two most hazardous and confusing they had done up until this very moment, was now the clearest in their minds.

_This entire plan backfired against him._

But... This trial was made for Ryoma.

Was Rantaro really going to experience the consequences of their plan right here and there, even though this trial was supposedly made for his friend?

"Puhuhu... Puhuhuhuhu!" Monokuma laughed. "Such a tragic mistake! Oh, to find out the tiny miscalculation that causes the mighty king's downfall!"

"Such a wonderful despair, don't you think?"

Did... Did Monokuma know that since the very beginning?

Was he just luring them into investigating Monodam's death?

Rantaro looked troubled. Defeated. Exactly like Monokuma was earlier.

The tables had turned almost instantly.

He was already confused by the plan Rantaro pulled out, but the bear's counterattack didn't make things any better.

...

However, something was wrong.

The screen, although turned off, didn't go away.

"Now that we all know the truth of mister know-it-all's plan, let's proceed to everyone's favorite moment, shall we?"

_"It's... Voting time!"_

Hold on, what?

The tablets in front of them turned on, showing everyone's icons and the timer.

They all looked at each other in panic.

"What the hell? Monokuma, we don't know who the real culprit is for Ryoma's case!" Kaito yelled.

"This isn't fair! Even you don't know the truth!" Miu added.

He glanced at Rantaro, who was staring at the tablet in fear.

If they don't do anything right now, they will get punished. And they knew Monokuma was not joking about that.

He closed his eyes for a moment, frowning, and then pressed one of the buttons in resignation.

It was clear who the bear wanted them to vote for.

They had no choice.

Shuichi pressed Rantaro's icon.

...

This was the end, wasn't it?

He had seen it four times already, but it always sent chills down his back.

To think that one, single, tiny mistake could cost a killer's life.

But here? They weren't even sure Rantaro was Ryoma's murderer. He may be. He may not be.

This trial started off as an assisted suicide Monokuma desperately wanted to solve to Monodam's disappearance in thirty minutes at most.

And yet so much had happened that it had felt like years. So many emotions mixed and twisted together to give birth to the horrifying despair visible in everyone's eyes.

The screen turned on, revealing everyone's names and icons.

6 votes for Rantaro Amami.

Everyone had voted, including Rantaro who had reluctantly cast his vote on himself.

“Who’ll be chosen as the blackened? Will you make the right choice or the dreadfully wrong one!?” Monokuma exclaimed.

**VERDICT**

The wheel turned for a few seconds before stopping on Rantaro.

The coins rolled out in mass with the cheerful retro music.

"Wowie! What a trial! And you all voted correctly as it seems!"

Rantaro kept staring at the tablet on the podium, fists clenched on the side of his body.

_"The blackened of this case is Rantaro Amami, the Ultimate medic!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And then he was voted guilty. Funniest shit I've ever seen.  
> (+ added a closing argument pic in the previous chapter!)


	45. Chapter 5: An oath to one's lost humanity - Deadly life (part 4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trial... is already over. Rantaro was voted as the culprit for the murder of Monodam. But so many mysteries still linger, and more importantly, Rantaro's motives.

...

'Guilty'.

That was all the voice in his head could say.

And yet that might not even be the truth. But to Monokuma, that didn't matter.

He was the one to kill Monodam, and that's all that was important to him.

As the bell chimed its happy jingle, everyone turned to Rantaro, who was unreadable.

He refused to look at anyone, choosing to close his eyes.

Like he was slowly resigning himself that he had failed.

...

Rantaro let out a snicker. "Heh. So that's how you decide to end things, huh?"

He raised his head, turning to his opponent. "Are you frustrated? Desperate? That's quite sad if you ask me."

He was talking as if he wasn't going to die in a few minutes. As if that trial didn't matter at all.

"That's quite unfair, don't you think?"

"I played by the rules. I created a trial just like you wanted one of us to do before the time limit. Never once have I broken the rules you established."

"And yet you created some lame excuse to get everyone to vote for me and claim it as right."

_"You just want to execute me, don't you?"_

That sentence ringed in his mind.

"I've been an annoyance to you throughout the entire game, finding one truth after the other. Were you so desperate to get rid of me that you changed the trial to your taste?"

"Or is it that you couldn't afford to accept defeat?"

"Whatever the reason, well done, Monokuma."

"You defeated me by flat out cheating."

...

The bear shrugged. "As I said, my trial, my rules! And besides..."

"Rule 14, 'Further, there may be new additions to the school rules according to the convenience of the headmaster.'"

"I am perfectly allowed to add rules!"

Rantaro stared at Monokuma for a moment, blinking, then bursted out laughing.

"Hahahahaha! What a joke."

He took a moment to calm down. "Ha... Sure, whatever you say, buddy."

"That's quite the change of attitude! You oh so humble judge, going from specifying each and every single detail of the rules and then doing a 180 and rig the trial against me."

"So what provoked this change of attitude? Do you really have absolutely no moral code?"

Kaito rolled his eyes. "I thought we already established that al-

"Or."

"Do you think I missed that tiny detail?"

Kokichi swallowed. "W-What are you talking about?"

Eyes still fixed on the bear, his words always seemed to have their impact.

"Just when I cornered you after explaining what Ryoma and I did to Monodam, you froze. And then you suddenly changed the rules. Do you think I didn't notice that?"

"Did you get new orders? Were you instructed to kill me? To give everyone a reason to vote for me?"

"Whoever your employer is, you can tell them to choke on a piece of bread and die."

The bear pouted. "Rude! And besides, as I said, I am me! I do not work for anyone but myself! Stop with your shenanigans, boy!"

"And yet, you let me do everything I wanted. Say..."

_"When I killed Monodam, why didn't you execute me immediately?"_

...

Silence.

Shuichi hadn't think about it in the heat of the moment but... That was a good point. Besides, Monokuma seemed to know about that, so why didn't he?

The bear stiffened.

"You knew what we were doing. And you wanted this trial to come to life because you knew no one would try to commit murder before the time limit. You let us do our thing even though that meant ignoring a rule or two. So you do put the trials before the rules, huh?"

...

Monokuma didn't answer at first. A silence that could only confirm Rantaro's theory.

The medic smirked. "Called it."

Their captor groaned. "This! Isn't! An interrogation!"

"Buddy, pal, friend, you do realize that *I* get to decide when I execute you! So either you decide to throw a sob story to the others..."

The infamous red button appeared on the throne, as he grabbed his hammer. "... Or I execute you right now!"

Rantaro stared at him for a second, like he was trying to see through a potential bluff. "... Right."

He turned to everyone to make sure they were listening. "It's fine. Besides, there's a lot to unpack. And I mean a _lot_."

Shuichi couldn't doubt it one second. He owed explanations to everyone about, well, _everything_.

"Sheesh, where do I even start? I guess one question at a time could work. You know, like the last trial."

...

The violinist had the words stuck in his throat. So many questions running in his head and he couldn't even focus on one.

"W-Why...?"

The feminine voice belonged to Miu.

"Why did you... I thought we all stood a chance against Monokuma... You gave us hope, the will to fight and... and..."

She trailed off. But everyone knew exactly what she meant.

"Because we never stood a chance in the first place."

"And how do you know that?!" Kaito yelled. "You're the one who suggested the plan, told us to prepare ourselves, create the strategies, and said we would win!!"

Rantaro looked almost annoyed. "Do you seriously think this killing game is as simple as Monokuma makes it look like?"

The biker backed down. "What?"

The green-haired boy sighed. "There's so much going on behind the scenes, but that part is fairly obvious."

"We're all the victims of a huge conspiracy and we have almost no way to fight against it. By that, I mean taking out Monokuma and the exisals is far from enough."

"There are more people behind this. Why do you think the courtrooms exist in the first place? Do you think one single person and robots could collect enough materials and put that in place in such a short amount of time?"

Kaito didn't know what to say.

"Even if we manage to take out Monokuma, there is more waiting for us. The second trial and the beginning of the game proved that. He can reappear anytime he gets destroyed. To put all of that into place you need dozens- no. _Hundreds_ of people. We have no clue how many are against us."

"We might be ultimates, but we were seven survivors against this mass murder party organized by people with an incredible amount of power. Which is why stopping Monokuma himself is useless."

_"It's not about outfoxing the mastermind of this killing game, it's about ending the game itself."_

Shuichi... had never looked at the situation like that.

But now that he thought about it, Rantaro never exactly _tried_ to search for a mastermind. He always attempted to calm down the effects of the motives but never had he interrogated anyone, as far as he knew.

He was buying time to figure out all the secrets of the game.

"A... A conspiracy?" Kokichi mumbled. "What... Why? What did we do?"

"That still doesn't add up with the fact humanity is dead! Where are the hundreds of people you claimed are part of the thing?!" Kaito exclaimed.

"This is something you'll need to find out. After all, I never thought about who was possibly pulling all the strings before this trial."

What...? He only found out all of this _during_ the trial? Only thanks to Monokuma's actions?

"If I had a little bit more time then maybe I could have tried to guess, but we all know how this trial is going to end."

The last part stung. He already accepted his fate and yet he seemed so calm about it.

The game had gone so fast yet so slow. Three weeks trapped in this academy with a killer mascot, and yet it was like they had learned nothing.

"That still doesn't answer Miu's question." Kirumi frowned. "What does organizing an assisted suicide have to do with ending the game? You said Monokuma's threats were empty, why didn't you just make us wait until the time limit arrived, since you knew none of us would try to do anything?"

Rantaro stared at Kirumi for a moment. The mercenary was trying to keep a straight face, but even she was disturbed by all of this.

"Say, Kirumi."

"What are your morals? Do you have a set of rules you follow no matter what?"

She frowned. "... What do you mean?"

"You're a mercenary after all. You could have killed one of us whenever you wanted, and yet you didn't. You're no bloodthirsty killer, it's easy to tell. Do you have any moral codes you set to yourself?"

She paused for a moment. "... I do. My job may be dirty work, but I shall never take a single life away if I am not absolutely sure this will contribute to my survival. I am not an assassin nor a serial killer, my rules are very strict and I shall always be loyal to myself."

The medic kept staring at her. "And would you rather die than breaking those rules?"

Kirumi went quiet again. "I don't know. Whether my dishonor shall be punished with death or not is not a question I took the time to ask myself."

He closed his eyes. "I see."

"What does it have to do with what I asked you?"

"Someone here has always been very strict about their morals as well. Someone always following his own rules no matter how tempting it could have been to break them."

Shuichi swallowed. "You mean... Monokuma?"

He nodded. "I asked myself numerous times what could be the best way to end the killing game. Destroying Monokuma? Blowing up the mastermind room? Lock everyone in their rooms so no one could commit a crime? Convince everyone to live the rest of their lives in the academy?"

"And then I found it. The method that is the most likely to succeed."

_"Destroying Monokuma's will to continue the game."_

Shuichi frowned. "What?"

The bear was always eager to make them kill each other. How on earth could he even try to convince Monokuma to stop?

"The killing game is defined by its rules. Someone is killed, we discover the body, investigate and do a trial to find out who it was. There are also the rules to regulate our daily life that we have to respect."

"My goal, simply put, was to make sure I was Monokuma's only hope for the game to continue and force him to break his own rules afterwards. Unconscious blackmail, if you will."

The violinist perked up.

This was... completely insane.

"I didn't need rule 17. After all, violence against the headmaster was prohibited, Monodam said so himself after the third body discovery."

"I killed him and Monokuma didn't do anything because he _needed_ me. He knew I was the only one willing to do something to keep the game going since he knew about our plan."

"Then Ryoma and I organized the impossible murder case, we went to the trial and what would happen next was a gamble. The goal was to make him give up, since he couldn't do anything without breaking the rules he put in place. And it seems I partially won, in some way. Heh." he said with a hint of a smirk on the side of his face.

Monokuma stayed silent as he received the glares of everyone else.

Rantaro shrugged. "If a killing game doesn't respect its own rules, what's the point of doing it anymore? What's the point of forcing people to do a game where the rules have been thrown out of the window?"

He turned to the bear. "I'm not talking to you guys only. But to Monokuma as well, or whoever is pulling the strings. Your game has gone to shit, I don't think we can even call it a game anymore. It's just pure anarchy and bloodlust. If you wanted a mindless massacre, shouldn't you have advertised it to us as such?"

...

Silence. But Monokuma's hammer was dangerously close to the red button.

"... Fine, fine." He turned away and rolled his eyes.

Miu had trouble making eye contact. "So you did this to... to end the game?"

"Mostly." he replied. "However you could say I was extremely petty. And I don't regret any of it."

Was he talking about the fact that he revealed everything immediately?

"I wanted to make this trial short out of spite." he laughed, slightly turning his gaze to Monokuma. "If I must die, then I shall be as much of an asshole as you are, dear mastermind."

"I thought I could save you guys from hours of useless and hopeless babbling. I had no intention of putting all of you through this again, after all."

Rantaro smirked. "And oh, how satisfying that was to finally get revenge on him."

Somehow he could sense that feeling. Not the malice, but rather the hatred radiating from him. He had never seen him like that before. Not even when Ryoma had supposedly betrayed them during Kiyo's trial. He didn't need to shout to make everyone understand how he was feeling.

Shuichi wanted to feel happy by this victory, but he couldn't.

This didn't feel like a victory, because it _wasn't_.

Rantaro was going to get executed, after all.

He wasn't that disturbed by what was coming. But perhaps he should have expected it.

How did he not expect the war medic, who has repeated multiple times he would gladly sacrifice himself for everyone else, to arrange a plan to save everyone even if it meant dying himself?

"I hope I answered your question, Miu."

The young woman was looking away. This was completely insane- _he_ was completely insane.

Whether she was satisfied or not with the answer didn't matter. What was done was done.

Kokichi looked like he wanted to say something. "U-Um..."

He swallowed. "I... I was wondering..."

The boy couldn't look at him in the eyes. No one else could, even the most confident of them had trouble staring at their friend.

"How... How did you find out about all of this? Ryoma was with you, right? So how did you manage to draw all of these conclusions without Monokuma expecting it?"

His shoulders tensed as he looked away. "I-I mean... Monokuma didn't seem to know about this and he has cameras and microphones monitoring us as you said... How did you get past all of these?"

Rantaro crossed his arms with a sigh. "It's about time I tell you."

_"Ryoma and I used morse code to communicate."_

Shuichi perked up. "So that's what those notes were all about!"

Everyone suddenly turned to him.

Kirumi frowned. "Hold on, you knew about this?"

The violinist looked like he had just realized what he said. "Ah..."

Rantaro stared at him. "I should have expected that."

"Hey! What's that all about??" Kaito yelled.

"Ryoma and I were using morse code to make sure the mastermind couldn't track what we had found out. We've been doing that for a while now."

Shuichi nervously fidgeted with his sleeve, breaking eye contact with the rest of the group. "I... I found several notes in morse code..."

He couldn't tell the full story. Not the part where he eavesdropped on Ryoma and Rantaro last night.

"At first I didn't know what they meant, but I did manage to find a morse code guide in Tsumugi's lab so I was able to decode one of them..."

Kaito raised an eyebrow. "Uh... If Shuichi was able to find the notes and translate them, then isn't your method kinda useless?"

Rantaro laughed. "You think I'm that stupid? Of course I knew someone would be able to put their hands on the messages and eventually decrypt them!"

Shuichi's eyes widened. "Huh? Then... Why did you do it in the first place?!"

He crossed his arms, a smug look on his face. "Because the intended audience with the notes was not just Ryoma and I."

_"It was the mastermind as well."_

The mastermind?! Why would they want them to read the notes?

"I did mention the cameras, didn't I? I knew the mastermind was watching us communicating this way. And if you managed to get your hands on a morse code guide, I don't doubt the mastermind had one as well."

"On those notes, we were noting only basic info of what we could have found or deduced during the game. It was useful info, but not top-secret like the cameras or our plan in detail."

Top-secret info?

Rantaro raised a finger.

"The version of the story everyone including the mastermind knows is that Ryoma and I were writing morse code notes to each other to exchange info without anyone else spying on us. But in reality?"

The medic raised a second finger, smiling.

_"... There were two morse codes going around. Not just one."_

If Shuichi wasn't utterly confused before, then surely he was now.

"Hold on, what do you mean 'two morse codes'?" Kirumi frowned.

"The notes... were nothing but a distraction. That's why I didn't care if any of you ended up finding them."

"The mastermind would see us writing those notes and tapping on walls... They would have never expected us to use a second, more subtle morse code for more private info."

Shuichi could only stare in awe. "How... How can you make morse code more subtle than it already is?"

Rantaro sighed, dropping the smile. "Come on, Shuichi... You witnessed us do it. Out of all people, _you_ should be the one to know."

He... He witnessed it?

"Wh- When? How? I never saw you two do anything!" he exclaimed.

"That's the point. You weren't supposed to realize it was morse code. But you _did_ watch us do it."

"Remember when Ryoma and I were playing with the monomono machine, the day before the despair disease motive?"

That was... long ago. But he did remember.

"We were communicating in morse code at the time. You didn't stay long enough to hear more than one letter, but still."

Kaito turned to him. "How the fuck do you do morse code with that?!"

"Turn the lever, drop immediately for a dot, or wait a few seconds for a line. Tell the other to do one single turn to separate the letters, two turns to separate the words and more if it was the other's turn to speak."

That was a whole new level of insane.

Never, ever would he have guessed the two were communicating this way.

"We did that with the monomono machine, the arcade games at the casino, our own footsteps... An implicit morse code that no one would notice. You have time to do a lot in three weeks."

"And you two... managed to understand each other like this...?" Miu muttered with wide eyes.

He nodded. "Yep! We've been doing that since I would say... A bit after the first trial? And it seems the mastermind never managed to see what was going on. Because they thought the only code we were using was the explicit one." He slightly turned to Monokuma.

_"Great mistake, bastard."_

...

Monokuma didn't respond. Was it the shock?

Once again, useless to try and guess.

"So yeah. That's how we were able to communicate. I'm proud of us two for this, heh."

Somehow, he could understand. That plan may be pure madness, but that was also brilliant.

Those two were definitely the smartest people he has ever known.

Rantaro hummed. "What else did I miss?"

"Alright, slow the fuck down." Kaito raised a hand. "You can't just tell us you did all of _that_ yourself! A double morse code? Messing with machines and- freaking footsteps for top secret information?!"

He paused, infuriated. "What the fuck even _are_ you??"

Miu turned to him. "Hey, that's-

The medic giggled. "Haha! Who knows? That is a question worth asking ourselves from time to time."

... This was not a reassuring thing to say.

Rantaro sighed. "What else didn't I mention..."

Kirumi looked hesitant. "... Where do all of those deductions come from? You kept throwing theories about Monokuma working for someone, a huge conspiracy involving hundreds of people... Yet humanity is dead. Surely you don't pull this information out of nowhere."

The medic blinked. "Right. I... don't really know how to break it to you all."

Whatever he had in mind, that was clearly not good news.

Shuichi gathered up enough courage to look at him. "W-What is it?"

Rantaro took a step back. "Well then! If you insist!"

The words he pronounced did not match his joyful expression at all. His blood ran cold as he heard...

_"The flashback lights are fake. All of them."_

...

Out of all the things he could have possibly said, this was not what he expected to hear.

And none of them expected it either.

"Rantaro..." Kirumi muttered. "What the fuck are you saying?"

"No, before you ask, I am not kidding. Everything we saw with those wastes was nothing but pure bullshit."

"H-Hold on!" Kokichi exclaimed. "How is that possible? I saw everything happening before my eyes! My memories... They're real!"

"Yeah! The flashback lights gave us our memories back!" Miu added. "How can this be fake?"

"Let me teach you guys some anatomy lessons from the basic neuroscientific knowledge I have gotten from Kiyo's lab."

"Basically, memories are tied to emotions and sometimes trauma. There are therapy methods that can make someone forget about emotions from traumas while still keeping the memory of it. However, those are not 100% effective, they only have around 70% chance of doing so. The 30% might still have psychological damage such as, well, emotional distress and trauma." Rantaro explained.

"The ultimate hunt, the gofer project, and everything else that happened must have left mental scars on us, although we forgot about them when Monokuma sealed our memories away. However, every single time we got a new memory, none of us felt any drastic change. We all were under the shock of what had happened, but no deep trauma awakened inside of you, did it?"

"What are the odds that each and every single one of us managed to go through this similar method of therapy without any sort of trauma reawakening?"

...

Shuichi was not good at math, but surely it must be extremely low.

Way too low to even _be considered_ a possibility.

Miu stared at the ground for a moment. "That's... What... What does this mean...?"

"It means we never felt the emotions behind those events. We never experienced any trauma from anything that happened before the game. In other words..."

"We never lived through any of this. If a technology great enough to bring back memories exists, I wouldn't be surprised if a technology that could let us remember delusions exists as well."

Rantaro...

He had really thought through this carefully, observing all the tiny details Monokuma had left them.

But something didn't feel right.

"Hey... I understand where you're coming from but... still..." He muttered. "Kiyo's lab wasn't opened until fairly recently, right? I can't exactly believe you read all of the books and miraculously found this information..."

The medic perked up. "Oh, you're right. I didn't come here at random after all. I had already established the theory, I just wanted to find evidence."

_"I knew that since after we used the very first flashback light, actually."_

...

"The... T-The first flashback light?" Miu stuttered. "That was..."

"A long time ago, yes."

Why didn't he say anything?! Why... How...?

Kaito once again stepped in. "How the fuck could you know that? What do you even know is-

"How did I come up with that conclusion after recovering one single memory?"

The biker stiffened.

"If I have to be honest, that's a bit disappointing from you all. Although I cannot blame any of you. You and I have lived different lives, it's only natural you wouldn't know. But I think I have repeated this more than enough times for you to remember it."

"I am a soldier. Loyal to my crew, loyal to humanity itself. Both Ryoma and I swore to fight for greater causes, and thus why we joined forces to fight against Monokuma in the shadows."

"What makes you think Ryoma and I would even consider fleeing our duties for the Gofer project? That we would rather die with a guilty conscience with our crews who had pleaded for us to go than helping humanity survive? That we would erase our own memories and ultimate talents to live as normal high school students?"

...

Shuichi's froze.

How many times had Rantaro talked about his loyalty towards the group?

That... should have been obvious from the start.

Whether it was with the trials, his overall attitude...

Why did he choose to use the flashback lights with them, then?

Was it to make sure Monokuma wouldn't notice a thing? To wait until he had more information to act?

Was it... The reason why he was so reluctant to use the fifth flashback light?

"Whatever we saw with these... That's just bullshit. I know myself better than Monokuma, I _know_ what I would have and have not done. So if all of this is fake, I'm pretty sure the outside world is fine."

"Are you guys satisfied now?"

Kokichi stood up. "What about what we saw outside?! That was... T-That was literally the end of the world!"

"If Monokuma has a technology great enough to make us recover memories, participate in trials with flying podiums, and modify the entirety of this academy to his own will, I don't think it's impossible to fake a portion of the 'outside world.' After all, we all passed out a few seconds after landing our eyes on the scenery, we didn't even get to step out of the academy."

"And don't get me started on the thousands of contradictions this entire story has, from why the ultimates all miraculously speak Japanese, all are miraculously immune to the virus, how this academy got built in a matter of months at most, how we don't have to worry about food..." He rolled his eyes. "Mastermind, you could have done better, seriously."

How could he be so calm about this?! Their entire stay at the academy was nothing more than pure lies and he looked so...

So...

_Resigned._

But... If he had discovered this after the first flashback light... Two weeks ago...

...

_How much was he silently carrying while trying to find a way to end the killing game?_

Shuichi didn't even know what to think anymore.

"But why?!"

Miu's yell woke him out of his thoughts. She had tears in the corners of her eyes.

"Why did you hide this from all of us! You... We would have believed you! We would have tried something, to fight back, to... To resist better! You never had to carry this entire weight by yourself!"

_"Why didn't you say anything?!"_

Rantaro stayed silent, looking at her. Which only seemed to worsen her state.

"... Because I couldn't risk putting any of you in danger more than you already were. I wish I could have done something sooner, but neither of us could bring ourselves to act without complete certainty of what we were doing."

"One mistake and it was over for us all."

He weakly smiled. "But hey, I might have failed, but at least I got to transfer those puzzle pieces to you all. With everything that happened, I'm sure you have more than enough to stop this game after the end of the trial."

Was it really worth it? Was it worth Rantaro and Ryoma's lives?

His mind couldn't even create one single rational thought anymore.

This was so wrong.

They had believed for so long that they were the targets of the ultimate hunt, that they were the salvagers of humanity, that the mastermind wanted to see the last bits of humankind die right before their eyes...

... Only for Rantaro to prove that this was nothing but lies.

The truth was hard to swallow. Shuichi didn't want to believe any of this.

Silence settled on the courtroom as everyone tried to accept this.

"Although..."

Rantaro broke the uncomfortable quietness.

"I should probably tell you guys this since I won't have any chance of talking to you ever again after this trial."

What was next? How else was he going to blow their minds?

"The flashback lights might not be the only thing that's fake."

... Fake? What else could have been faked?

"Now that might not be the case for everyone. I found out about that a few days ago only so there's not much to back me up here, but I know for a fact that is at least partially true."

The silence as everyone stared at Rantaro was deafening.

He had managed to find out so much... What else was there to say?

"You see... Our memories with the flashback lights might not be the only memories that are fake."

_"Our entire lives could have been nothing but lies for all we know."_

...

This was too much. All the previous theories may have at least evidence to back them up, but... Their entire lives being...

"H-Huh? I... I know who I am!" Kokichi exclaimed. "I know what I did in the past and... We didn't even use flashback lights to remember that!"

"I know this shit about flashback lights being fake is hard to swallow, but..." Kaito said. "Aren't you going a bit too far?"

He shook his head. "I wouldn't have told you any of this if I wasn't sure of it."

Shuichi saw Kirumi growing more nervous by the minute. "Explain yourself. That's not something you can throw out like that, especially considering what everyone went through over the years."

"It's exactly as I said. Our lives could be nothing but lies and I stand my point. And while it could be different from one to another, I know at least one person here has an existence that contradicts reality itself."

An existence... Contradicting reality?

What did that even mean?

"What is there to say?! How could you say everything we have lived through was nothing?!" Miu exclaimed. "That's... How could you say that?? Do you have any sort of evidence or... Something?!"

Rantaro chuckled. "Oh, don't worry, I have my evidence. And the evidence..."

He approached a hand to his chest.

"... Is right here."

Himself? How...

...

Rantaro had gone completely mad, but... To the point of saying he _himself_ is fake?

What did the killing game even do to him to tear his mind apart in a way no one else experienced?

The medic tightened his grip on his shirt and...

_... He pulled it down, revealing a part of the atrocious scar on his chest._

Shuichi felt shivers down his spine.

He saw Miu take a step back, hands on her mouth.

Kirumi and he might have seen it in its entirety, but... They were still disgusted by the ugliness of the wound.

"You see, according to what I remember, I got this scar when I was thirteen years old. The crew got attacked by a dozen soldiers who came to kill us. Someone took me by surprise and sliced my entire torso with a combat knife. I managed to take care of him, hide, treat the wound correctly and make it out alive, but I still have this giant scar to this day."

This story sent chills down the violinist's spine.

"However, something doesn't add up. You see, after further inspection, I made the wonderful discovery that this wound wasn't done with a combat knife but rather a kitchen knife or at least something with a thinner blade. In other words..."

"... This incident never happened. And yet I remember it clearly in my mind, just like the rest of my memories. So it's not too far-fetched to say they might be fake as well."

...

Was it... The day Kirumi and he found Rantaro's lab in such a mess that they wondered what on earth could have possibly happened here?

He nervously glanced at Kirumi, who seemed to have realized that as well.

"The human mind may lie to itself and others, but the body never does. If I had to trust one of them, knowing a part of my memories is fake... I know what I'm choosing."

"So, I think now it is pretty safe to say..."

_"... That the person you all loved and cherished, Rantaro Amami, the ultimate medic... Never existed."_

Shuichi felt like he was going to throw up.

His eyes seemed devoid of rage. But the bright green color that was reassuring not so long ago...

It was as if it had fallen right into the uncanny valley. Human enough to be considered as such but... Not enough at the same time. Like humanity was slowly but surely leaving him.

Those were the eyes of a doll. Of someone without a soul inhabiting the body.

Of someone who had already died.

...

"You've got to be fucking kidding me."

To everyone's surprise, Kirumi approached Rantaro and grabbed him by the collar.

"I know a warrior when I see one. I know when someone has gone through hell and back to reach their goals, whatever they are. You've been fighting for three full weeks putting a mask and fool the mastermind just to tell us none of this fucking matters?!"

A furious Kirumi was a rare and terrifying sight. The others could only stare at the scene, not daring to separate the two.

"You think the war medic who has torn his body and mind apart until complete exhaustion is not real and nothing but a pure fantasy all of us created?! How out of your mind are you, Rantaro Amami?!"

He smiled, putting a hand on her wrist. "Who knows? But this? What I said was not a joke. If anyone is out of their mind, it's you, Kirumi. You've been so eager to accept all the truths I've told you, why can't you do it now?"

She tightened her grip. "Because there is no way I'm going to ignore everything you have done up until this very moment. Whatever the truth of this killing game is, I refuse to let you call yourself unreal when you're the one who played the biggest role when it comes to trying to end this entire shitshow."

"Your scar and memory may be fake as you say, but the leader who helped everyone get through this is real."

The medic did not back down. "This life does not belong to me. I am nothing but an impostor appropriating memories that do not exist. Why would you ever get attached to a pale copy of the real hero who would have helped saving you all from this misery?"

Shuichi couldn't see it properly, but his expression looked demonic. A mix of desperation, horror, and disgust in the eyes of a raging beast.

 _Nothing but pure, raw despair_.

"What about you, Kirumi? Maybe you're fake as well. Ever thought about anything that contradicts your entire life? What about everyone else? Are they fake as well? Are we all just a bunch of delusions in human bodies? Could we even be considered human at this point?"

Kirumi was struggling not to flinch. "Lies or not, everyone chose to act the way they do. You chose to fight and risk your life for us on multiple occasions. And if there is one person here who never gave up on this never-ending battle, it's you."

"The person that I 'got attached to' as you say isn't whoever the fuck those memories belong to. It's the person who kept fighting for our freedom and who gave us hope. And never will I ever accept that you discard all of this because of whatever you've been rambling about."

"It's you that we all admired. No one else."

"Then keep clinging to a non-existing person for all I care."

...

The two kept staring at each other, the anger in Kirumi's eyes slowly turning into terror.

She released Rantaro, putting her sleeve back in place.

Her words were what they were all feeling, deep down, but that was not enough.

It was never enough.

Rantaro turned back, hiding his eyes from the rest of the group.

"You guys can stop pretending to care about me, you know? I kept lying to myself that taking the role of ultimate medic was right, but nothing in this body is real. Not the story, not the memories, nor anything else."

No one could even try to hide their feelings. They were all terrified of what had just happened. Not daring to talk back, even though they could not agree on anything he had said.

The silence had settled back.

"... But before I get executed, perhaps I should entrust my last wishes onto you."

Shuichi was all ears. He may feel horrible about the whole situation, but he could at least respect that.

"End this game. Do as Tsumugi said and find Keebo's killer. My word isn't exactly worth anything, but I know you can do it. Show this bear what you're capable of in this game that has no meaning anymore."

"... That's all I have to say. You have more than enough info and resources to do so."

He turned back to the others, and after a few seconds, arbored a weak, almost forced smile. A smile that was tainted by repressed tears.

"I'll be watching you guys from the afterlife. You better win, alright?"

Shuichi's throat was too tight for him to even mutter a word. He couldn't even think about anything to say.

Not even a 'goodbye'.

He simply heard the low voice of Kirumi mutter.

"... We will."

Rantaro passed his thumb across his eye and turned to Monokuma.

"I'm ready. You can start now."

"Rantaro... N-No..." Miu mumbled. "Please... We... We can..."

"One can do!" The bear exclaimed.

The medic shared one last glance with them.

"Thank you for everything. Take care, everyone."

Shuichi could feel warm tears form in his eyes as his vision became more and more blurry.

He didn't know if he could even bear watching yet another execution.

"Let's give it everything we've got! It's... PUNISHMENT TIIIME!"

"NOOOOO!!!" Miu screamed. But her cries were completely meaningless.

Monokuma joyfully smashed the button with his hammer.

**GAME OVER**

Rantaro has been found guilty.

Time for the punishment!

[ **_(BGM)_ ** ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPha6hvuswA)

Before anyone could try to protest, the screen showed Rantaro in a deserted valley. The sun was setting on the horizon, with very few clouds in the sky. The orange atmosphere that was supposed to be heartwarming left a bitter feeling in their hearts.

A slight breeze was stroking the bits of decaying grass.

The medic put a hand on his forehead to protect his eyes from the sunlight.

But just as he took a few steps forward, the appearance of the landscape brutally started changing.

Canons, trenches, barbwire, monokumas with helmets and heavy fire weapons... Everything from a typical modern battlefield appearing before his eyes.

Rantaro observed the scenery putting itself into place.

This was his execution. He lived on the battlefield and would die on the battlefield.

He felt something poking his leg.

A small Monokuma left a bag and fled to the nearest trench.

Rantaro opened it to see several dolls, looking like each of the survivors. He stared at them for a moment before putting the bag on one of his shoulders. A lifeless gaze that reminded Shuichi of a puppet.

Just as he stood up, something highly noticeable appeared far away, deep into the valley. A house and a gateway at the end of a bridge, built across a ravine. On it was written "SHELTER" in big, flashy letters.

The medic immediately understood his mission. To make it to the shelter safely with the dolls- the rest of his friends.

**Im Westen erwartet den Tod**  
**Ultimate medic Rantaro Amami's execution: Executed**

An explosion took Rantaro out of his thoughts.

The monokumas started blasting their canons and weapons at each other. They were at war and he was standing in the middle of it.

He ran to the nearest bump to hide behind it, trying to avoid the shots fired above his head.

If he stayed here too long, he would end up dead. And the dolls, the only remains of the group he had loved and desperately tried to protect would get destroyed. After taking a few deep breaths, he poked his head out and immediately traced the route in his mind.

Rantaro jumped out and started sprinting, holding onto the bag like a lifeline.

The explosions started damaging the battlefield, and the medic could only clench his teeth and brave the blizzard of metal and dirt bits dancing through the blazing heat of the war.

He ran as fast as he could, jumping above the shell holes that were continuously forming, making this race against time more and more difficult.

But nothing in his expression indicated a sign of wanting to give up.

He would get to the other side of the bridge. He would protect them, even as dolls.

As he continued running, he slowly became the target of the explosions around him. A piece of metal created a cut on his head, but that didn't seem to phase him as he continued without even taking a look at it.

Although he kept fighting against it, the fatigue was slowly starting to get the better of him, but he never tried to rest for even a second. He was not going to fail his mission.

_Not again._

The blasts were getting more and more intense by the second as if this mission was not already hard enough to 'complete'.

Rantaro stopped behind another bump to rest, feeling his lungs slowly absorbing the ashes and smoke.

However, he couldn't bring himself to give up. He never would.

He swallowed and got back to sprinting, gracefully jumping through the tempest of bullets and embers.

"GOOOOO!!!" Miu yelled with tears in her eyes. He could not hear her, but maybe, just maybe he could feel her encouragements.

Was there really hope behind it all? Perhaps not. But Shuichi couldn't bring himself to detach his eyes from the screen nor respond to her.

Rantaro continued his race against all odds. The bag was still shut, and no doll had flown out to become a victim of this execution.

He may be hurt, but never would he allow himself to let _them_ be hurt as well.

After all, it was his duty as a war medic to keep fighting until finally crumbling under the incredible and unjustified violence of war itself.

The bridge was not that far away now. If he continued running, he would surely get there with the dolls safely.

And so he did, but just before jumping from a short cliff to save himself some time, he reached for something in his inner pocket as he continued running.

_A small bottle filled with a transparent liquid._

He leaped through the sky, but the moment his feet left the ground...

A bullet flew and planted itself in his right shoulder, causing the bag and the bottle to fly away.

He violently crashed and rolled on the ground until he got right in front of the bridge.

...

The bottle had shattered on impact, far away from Rantaro.

The bag had let the dolls flow out and were now spread out on the dusty ground.

Rantaro tried to get back up enough to put a hand on the nearest one, right in front of him.

A doll that did not look like any of the survivors, but rather... _It looked like Tsumugi_.

He didn't even manage to touch the object before a fiery bullet pierced it, destroying the entire left side of the replica.

Rantaro's eyes went wide, tears flowing as he could only watch the fire spreading and destroying it, unable to do anything.

Even as a doll, he couldn't do anything to save her.

...

...

...

[ **_(BGM)_ ** ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YEn3kbIYoM)

"Ha... Hahahaha..."

Rantaro let his hand lay on the ground.

Despite his current state, he managed to sit up and let his back rest on one of the bridge poles.

"So this is it, huh..."

His eyes landed on the shattered glass in the distance.

"You didn't even let me end it all myself."

He turned his head to the sun setting, which had gone from a warm orange to a scarlet red.

"I couldn't even save a bunch of dolls."

"Ironic, isn't it? I couldn't save you then, and I couldn't save you now."

"It's pathetic."

"But what else is there to expect from someone who is not even a soldier in the first place?"

"Hah..."

The war with the monokumas was over. It was like time had stopped, leaving him with his thoughts before he would finally reunite with everyone else in the world of the dead.

He felt tears flowing on his cheeks.

"I'm sorry, everyone. I couldn't even be here with you at the end of this game, to defeat the mastermind and whoever is behind it all."

"I'm sorry, Ryoma. I let my selfishness murder you for this miserable plan. You could have lived and ended this game with everyone else, but... Now I shall join you in the afterlife. Or maybe not. I will probably go to hell after all."

"I'm sorry, Tsumugi. If only I could have done better, you would have lived. You would have been able to help them get through this and find the truth about Keebo's death."

"I'm... I'm sorry."

Rantaro was suddenly thrown into a coughing fit, spitting out the ashes and blood in his lungs.

"Hahahaha... Monokuma, you bastard. It fucking hurts." He muttered with a raspy voice.

He turned to the shelter, which despite everything, actually looked like a safe place. It was so close yet so far.

"I know you guys can do it. With all this information... I have faith in you. I have hope this trial is going to be the last."

Rantaro reached a hand towards the sky.

"So please... Just for me..."

He closed his eyes, a weak smile forming on his face.

_"... Keep living on."_

His hand slowly went down, head slightly falling to the side.

He stopped moving, with a peaceful smile now frozen.

_Rantaro Amami, the ultimate medic, was dead._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rest in peace, Rantaro Amami. You were my favorite to write.
> 
> Fun fact: Yes, I did cry while writing Rantaro's death. Don't @ me.


	46. Chapter 5: An oath to one's lost humanity - Deadly life (part 5)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The truth of this killing game... is so far away from what they first thought it was. Fake flashback lights? Fake memories? A double morse code used by Rantaro and Ryoma to trick the mastermind? Everything sounds insane, but... The story of the war medic and the weapons maker finally comes to an end.

...

He's...

He's dead.

Rantaro is dead.

Why was he still crying? Why was he still so afraid?

This was the fifth execution he was witnessing. Why did this one feel so different? So heartbreaking? So...

_... Personal?_

Shuichi couldn't discern what was in front of him, his vision blurred by the tears and the overwhelming dark thoughts his mind had been drowning him in for days.

Before he knew it, his knees gave out. He felt a few tears fall, letting his view clear enough for him to notice he was on the checkered floor of the courtroom.

The violinist couldn't hear anything that was happening next to him. Were any of them crying? Wailing? Holding each other into their arms?

So much he couldn't focus on.

"He... Rantaro..."

Shuichi didn't even realize he was saying this out loud.

His view slowly became hazy again due to the non-ending tears flowing on his cheeks.

The sound of his heart racing was loudly echoing in his head.

But the devastating thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a heartwrenching cry.

Miu dropped to the ground as she screamed her lungs out, wailing the loss of the one they had all trusted. The one who became a role model for her and helped her become the person she was now.

The one she had cared so much about, even more than the rest of them.

Although Shuichi could not pay full attention to it, Kaito and Kokichi went by her side to comfort her.

"Why? Why did it have to be this way?! Why didn't he trust us with this?! Why did he decide that carrying us without any sort of help was the right thing to do?! Why didn't he think he deserved our recognition for helping us?!"

"I don't understand..."

She sobbed, hands gripping her head.

"I don't... I don't understand anything at all..."

...

Shuichi was still frozen.

Why indeed?

Why did he deny their gratefulness for the actions he had done?

And of course, was still lingering the never-answered question he had asked himself so many times already...

_... What was madness and what was reality?_

The thin line that was so clear to him had been reduced to shreds over the trials, the deaths, and their suffering.

A crazy and unbelievable world they had learned to accept, and then was proven to be even crazier than they had all first thought.

...

He could feel Kirumi's tall figure next to him still staring at the black screen.

Shuichi barely heard the sound of her heels approaching him.

He couldn't even raise his head to look at her.

To his surprise, she set a knee down next to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "... Are you okay?"

A low voice that reeked repressed sorrow.

A simple question with a simple answer.

...

He doesn't know what took over him.

Before he realized what he was doing, the violinist had wrapped his arms around her, head buried in her chest. A grip stronger than he ever had on anyone in the entirety of this horrible game.

Was he so starved for comfort that his first reflex was to childishly clutch the person offering it?

What was he thinking? Why was he clinging to the trained killer who had the strength to throw him across the room?

Hadn't he had learned his lesson back then?

Had madness consumed him as well?

...

Kirumi didn't push him away, though.

After some time, she hesitantly placed her hands on his back, hugging him back without complaining.

He couldn't even find the courage to mutter a word. He could only cry his eyes out, shaking in her arms.

Shuichi didn't know how much time they would all spend mourning the slow death of their symbol of hope, in a wordless room filled with the sobbings and the cries of the ones fate had cursed.

Sixteen at the beginning, five alive as of now.

Eleven had perished under the despair of murderers and brutal executions.

He could only wonder why _they_ were the ones still alive.

Why not Himiko? Korekiyo? Tsumugi? Keebo? Ryoma or Rantaro for that matter?

Shuichi kept crying. Life was unfair, and there was no one to blame but their captor.

Or captors, if what Rantaro said was true.

But right now, he couldn't bring himself to focus on theorizing about their situation.

The two were kept in this hug. He could feel Kirumi's rapid heartbeat in her chest. It felt so intimate, so private, and probably the most vulnerable he had ever seen her.

How could they even understand each other? They had lived completely opposite lives. Drastically different experiences that had forged them into the people they are now.

Although...

... The darkness surrounding them may be what was bringing those different worlds together, forcing them to coexist and cooperate to defeat a greater evil.

Worlds slowly decomposing as reality itself wasn't even trustworthy anymore.

Kirumi kept gently petting his back.

There was nothing around him anymore, just the tight embrace of the mercenary...

... And one, single tear falling on his head.

...

...

\--

...

Shuichi doesn't know how much time passed before he regained a bit of consciousness and control over himself again.

And when he moved a little, Kirumi immediately gave him some space. She seemed to be at least a bit better now.

They didn't exchange words, and instead, silently helped each other to get back up.

He must be a mess, but at least Kirumi had the decency not to comment on that.

Monokuma was gone, surprisingly.

Miu was still sitting on the ground, looking at the void with eyes reddened by tears that had now dried.

Kaito and Kokichi seemed to have been trying to comfort each other as well.

The violinist swallowed before approaching the three.

"Are you... Okay?"

Kokichi glanced at the grieving Miu. "Hey... We should... We should get out of here."

He was right. This courtroom was only making matters worse.

The street artist rubbed her eyes and took Kaito's hand to get back up.

They looked around the courtroom, which seemed to have fewer lights on than before, like a store that had closed hours ago.

"Monokuma didn't even bother trying to make us leave..." Kokichi muttered.

"Not like he could have done anything." Kaito glanced at everyone. "We're all complete emotional messes."

There was a silence that lasted a few seconds.

Miu slowly started walking towards the exit.

"Let's just leave."

The ride in the elevator was quiet, and Shuichi was somehow grateful the machine kept emitting its loud mechanical noise. At least he could focus on something other than the dark thoughts in his mind.

They stepped outside the shrine. The sun had long gone down by now.

The five last survivors walked back to the dorms, each to their respective rooms.

What was going to happen next?

Would this game even continue? Rantaro might have failed and gotten executed, but he might be right, at least to an extent.

According to him, they could not trust anything they knew. Not themselves, their memories nor their pasts.

But also that this game was now completely devoid of sense and rules. What sort of motive would even incite them to kill anymore?

He could only hope the bear would indeed get bored and stop this massacre once and for all.

...

He closed his dorm room door behind him and fell onto his bed.

He didn't feel like sleeping, but didn't feel like staying awake either.

Shuichi stared at the other side of his room, not even bothering to put on proper clothes to sleep.

...

\--

...

_*knock* *knock*_

He was suddenly taken out of this half-sleeping state when someone tapped on his door.

They could have used the doorbell, but Shuichi guessed they didn't want to make too much noise.

"I'm coming..."

The violinist slowly got up from his bed and opened the door. And here was standing...

Kirumi.

"W-What are you doing here?" he mumbled, rubbing his eye.

She was still in her uniform, and had visibly not tried to rest like he did.

"There's something important I need to address. I'll be waiting for you in the courtyard."

She immediately closed the door and left.

"W-Wait!"

Too late.

What was that about?

He went to the bathroom to splash water on his face.

Shuichi stared at the mirror, but somehow, this reflection didn't feel like his.

_"The person you all loved and cherished, Rantaro Amami, the ultimate medic... Never existed."_

...

Was he real? Was he nothing but a pale copy of another person?

Could he even call himself Shuichi Saihara anymore?

He could only try to imagine what was on Rantaro's mind all this time.

The violinist shook his head.

_Not now._

He put on his shoes and left for the courtyard.

Just as she said, Kirumi was here, alone.

"U-Um... What did you want to talk about?"

"I'll wait until everyone gets here."

Everyone? What was important enough for her to call them here?

He could only wait and see.

None were in the mood for small talk, and that was perfectly fine.

The three other survivors came one by one, Miu being the last to arrive.

They all looked like they had tried to sleep, but were either kept awake by the terror and sorrow they were all feeling, or were waken up by Kirumi herself.

"So? What's the deal?" Kaito asked.

Kirumi crossed her arms, not glancing at anyone in particular. "I wanted to tell this to all of you immediately, but considering your current states, I preferred to let you take a break from this... 'Trial', if we can even call it that way."

Fair enough. But... What was it that couldn't wait until tomorrow?

"I've had this feeling ever since the execution. But to investigate alone would have been selfish and stupid on my part."

The mercenary raised her hand, palm facing them. She tightly gripped her sleeve. "You see..."

She pulled it down, revealing what looked like a strange electronic pin planted in her arm, a tiny smudge of dried blood where the needle was entering her skin.

_"... I have a feeling that this case is not over yet."_

Shuichi's eyes widened, both in horror and shock.

"W-What the hell is this?!" Kaito yelled. "Why the fuck do you have that in your arm?!"

The violinist could tell this was new. After all, he had seen her bare arms twice before, and she sure as hell didn't have that.

"I'm fairly certain Rantaro is the one who planted it on me."

Miu visibly perked up at the mention of his name. "What does Rantaro have to do with this?!"

"Remember when I grabbed him by the collar earlier?"

Shuichi winced. This moment wasn't the most joyful and pleasant to think about.

"I believe he planted this when he put his hand on my wrist. I didn't think that much of it at the time, but I could feel something in my arm ever since then. And I doubt he would have done this for no reason at all, and more importantly discreetly enough for Monokuma not to notice, or at least comment on that."

What... _What else did Rantaro plan for this case?_

"B-But..." Kokichi stuttered. "That must have hurt... How didn't you notice him planting it in your arm? I mean... You said you 'believe', like you are not sure..."

Kirumi froze.

...

Her condition.

_They still didn't know._

She sighed. "I guess I had to reveal it someday."

"I don't feel physical pain. I never did. Rantaro knew that already, and I believe he took advantage of this to transfer one final message he couldn't allow Monokuma to take away from us."

"YOU WHAT?" Kaito yelled.

Shuichi looked at him. "She's telling the truth... I've seen it for myself."

"Hold on, when??" Miu frowned.

"Uh-

"Now isn't the time." Kirumi interrupted the discussion. "Rantaro must have given me this piece of evidence so we would have one step ahead of Monokuma. If we don't use it carefully, we will waste it."

Shuichi nodded as she watched her putting her sleeve back in place, not bothering to take out the pin. But perhaps it was safer this way.

"I've been thinking about it since the end of the trial, and there is only one place this could be useful in. Follow me."

They glanced at each other, but followed Kirumi without questioning. She must be staying silent so Monokuma wouldn't try to ruin their final investigation on this case.

The group climbed up the stairs of the main building one by one, and she stopped...

_... In front of Ryoma's research lab._

This was where the two had prepared their plan without the cameras watching them. And if Rantaro didn't want Monokuma to investigate before them, then it must be the right place.

Once in the lab and after locking the door behind them, they decided to look through everything to find a hint.

But something caught everyone's attention quite quickly.

_The locks on the boxes._

They let Kirumi climb there to see if this was indeed the answer.

...

"I believe this has something to do with the boxes, but not this one. However, I do have a theory."

She climbed down and showed them the pin.

On the part that had been outside of her arm was a tiny blue square with several black dots and one single white dot.

"The pin is the key, but it opens only one lock, I think."

Kokichi tried to get a closer look. "Oh! Like the square may be a map of all the boxes and the white dot is the correct one!"

"That could be it."

After figuring out how the map worked, they let Kirumi climb on the box supposedly noted white.

_*click!*_

The sound of the box being unlocked was loud enough for Shuichi to hear.

"Bingo."

Kirumi climbed inside the box and after a few minutes, she went out.

And in her hand was...

_... A camera with one of the anti-electronic bomb magnets on it._

"What is this?" Kokichi asked.

"I mean it's a camera, but... Do you think something important is in here?" Kaito asked.

Kirumi stared at the object. "I have a very bad feeling about this."

But they didn't have a choice. This was the very last hint Rantaro had given them.

And Rantaro's plans, as insane as they were, were able to catch Monokuma by surprise, even by failing.

Was he still helping them from the grave?

The group sat down as Kirumi put the camera in place so everyone could see.

"... Here goes nothing."

She turned the device on.

Two videos were saved. The first recorded video was a minute long and the second was about seven minutes long.

"Perhaps we should watch them by order of recording?" Miu suggested. "I don't know... It's just my guess..."

She seemed to have gained a bit of energy back. Enough to investigate on the legacy Rantaro had left behind.

"First video it is." the mercenary selected it and pressed the play button.

...

-

...

The video started. It was Ryoma's lab- they could recognize the boxes and the signature lighting. It looked like the camera was positioned to film the entrance.

The gadget didn't seem to have been activated by anyone, yet was somehow recording.

But before they could wonder how, someone appeared on the screen.

_Ryoma._

"So? Everything is in place?"

Shuichi jumped at the voice of Rantaro.

The medic appeared on the screen with a hacking gun in his hand.

"It's filming. Be careful, we only have one shot."

"I know that already."

Rantaro positioned himself behind the door, and Ryoma disappeared from the field of view right after taking out his own hacking gun.

The medic stared at where Ryoma supposedly was and nodded.

"MONODAM! WE HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE RULES!!"

Rantaro yelled probably louder than necessary.

He tightly gripped the gun, finger on the trigger.

...

The door suddenly opened and Monodam walked in.

A beeping was heard- supposedly the electronic bomb.

The two jumped out of their hiding spots, Rantaro kicking the door to close it.

And to everyone's surprise, _both_ had pulled the triggers.

However, something made Shuichi's heart stop.

_Rantaro's shot missed, going past Ryoma. And the latter's shot was the one to take the robot down._

Ryoma fired a couple more times as Rantaro nonchalantly walked towards the now dead mascot, not even bothering to help.

"... He's deactivated. We're good."

Ryoma looked up to his partner. "Could you have at least tried to shoot a bit further away from my face?"

"Sorry. At least we're good now, right?"

"Yeah."

...

So many questions ran through Shuichi's head.

Rantaro shrugged. "But hey, the first part is over. I'll let you take care of Monodam while I get to see how Monokuma is going to ruin the exisal hangar assault. I'll report everything to you later on."

"Got it, boss."

Ryoma took out what looked like a remote and then...

...

-

... The video brutally ended.

Rantaro... missed? And more importantly, on purpose?!

Which meant...

_Monokuma was wrong. Rantaro was not the culprit of this so-called case._

But... Why didn't he say anything?

Why did he let himself get executed?!

The camera was here with the proof!! Why didn't he defend himself?!

The others were also under the shock of this revelation.

"Rantaro... Didn't do anything...?" Kokichi shakily mumbled.

"Monokuma... You..." Miu muttered. She suddenly slammed the nearby box with her fist. "You fucking bastard!! This was someone innocent you executed!!"

_Innocent..._

Somehow a part of Shuichi hoped he was indeed the one who killed Ryoma. To think there was a possibility he was executed for nothing...

He didn't even want to think about it.

The little game the judge and the condemned were playing had deadly stakes that meant nothing to either of them.

Now that Monokuma was gone from their group and Rantaro was dead, they could only try to put the final puzzle pieces of this miserable trial together.

Their motives and the rules, the lies and the truth.

Shuichi thought he knew Rantaro by now, but...

_Whoever was with them during the trial and on the video felt like a total stranger._

...

"There is a second video. And I have a feeling this will be somehow worse." Kirumi broke the silence, narrowing her eyes at the tiny screen.

They had all realized Monokuma's mistake, and _their_ mistake as well.

But whatever the second video showed couldn't change the truth of the first.

_Rantaro was executed either for the wrong reasons or for absolutely nothing._

"Are you guys ready?" Kaito asked.

They exchanged glances and nodded.

Kirumi selected the video and pressed play.

...

-

...

The camera moved slightly as if it was being adjusted.

But on the screen was a scene that immediately made Shuichi stiffen.

A rope. A chair. A white neon light.

_This video was about Ryoma's death._

The camera in place, Rantaro moved in front of the lens, checking if everything worked.

"It's recording."

"Good."

Ryoma appeared on the screen.

The two walked towards the chair and rope. Ryoma climbed on the seat and placed the noose around his neck.

...

"So this is it, huh?" Rantaro said. "This is where your story ends."

Ryoma shrugged. "You know it doesn't. Not now, at least."

"Yes, yes, I know. But you're about to die, Ryoma."

...

"... I'm doing this for you guys. You better win, alright?"

"Don't worry. We will."

There was a long silence between the two.

"... So? Shall we proceed?" Ryoma asked.

"Of course."

Rantaro rummaged through one of his inner pockets and took out...

_... A small bottle filled with transparent liquid, exactly the one he had tried to drink during his execution._

He handed it to Ryoma.

"Thanks."

The weapons maker opened the cap.

"What on earth did you mix for the smell to be that strong?"

"Do you want the full list?"

"I'll pass."

Ryoma approached the container to his lips, and...

_... He drank the entire bottle._

Rantaro took back the empty container, putting it in his pocket.

"This tastes awful."

"Told you so."

Ryoma snickered. "You better win this trial, Rantaro Amami."

The medic didn't seem to react.

He watched as the other soldier seemed to feel nauseous, and not even ten seconds later, he collapsed.

_Ryoma was dead._

Rantaro stared at the scene for about a minute.

He then proceeded to snatch the chair from under his feet.

The lifeless body swung for a moment, but stopped moving rather quickly.

This was the exact same horrifying scene they had all discovered earlier.

The medic approached the camera with the chair and sat down.

He stared at the lens, not a single emotion visible on his face.

[ _**(BGM)** _ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhspICxdqqE)

"If you're watching this, then it means the plan was a success."

"This means that I was both executed and Monokuma failed at being a competent killing game host."

"You see, I spent days preparing this specific poison for the plan. A poison that could act in a matter of seconds and could not be identified through bloodshot eyes, vomited blood or anything else."

"After all, right now, the blood in Ryoma's body is still circulating enough to create the marks around his neck that will make you all think he hanged himself."

"So if everything goes according to plan, Monokuma will have marked his death as either hanging, suffocation, or strangulation."

"But in reality, his death was never related to the rope."

"And if I get executed, this means he would have done so for absolutely no valid reason at all. I didn't disrespect any rules, I didn't kill Monodam, and I didn't kill Ryoma. Which means..."

_"... That I am completely innocent in the case of Ryoma Hoshi, the ultimate weapons maker."_

"In other words, absolutely everything about this case is nothing but pure lies and inability to take care of a simple suicide. Cause of death wrong, rules broken, innocent executed for crimes they didn't commit..."

"Nothing but pure failure on Monokuma's part."

"You may wonder why I did this. Why we prepared this entire plan. Well..."

"Most of the reasons are what I told you after the trial. About destroying Monokuma's will to continue the game. But there are a few more reasons for my actions."

"Why did I let myself being executed? Why didn't I show the proof with the cameras? Well..."

"I didn't want to."

"I wanted Monokuma to go through his entire thought process only to realize he had been wrong all along and had broken the rules for absolutely no other reason than his incompetence."

He chuckled.

"Isn't that what he loves to do? To get our hopes up and make us fall into a greater despair?"

"So how about we turn the tables for once?"

"Monokuma, you thought you had managed to put an end to our plan, but that was never the case. You fell right into my trap because you always let us do whatever we wanted."

"You miscalculated everything about this."

"Ah, but you guys don't know what I'm talking about exactly."

"The cameras showed him that I was preparing a poison. But this poison was not to end my life on my own terms like he thought I would do in case the plan failed. It was for the plan itself."

"But you may ask, what exactly did I take out of my pocket later on during the execution? Well... If I even managed to do so? The answer is quite simple."

"It was plain water."

"Nothing but still water available in this lab. As stupid as this sounds, any transparent liquid could be mistaken for water and vice-versa. Quite convenient if you ask me."

"Anyway, there is another question that you probably asked yourselves at some point."

"Why wasn't *I* the victim of this case?"

"You see..."

"I was supposed to. I was the one who volunteered to be the victim."

"However, Ryoma didn't let me. He wanted me to live no matter what. And that's when I got a better idea."

_"To manipulate Monokuma into killing me."_

"Of course, I omitted a lot of details when I explained the plan to Ryoma, or else he wouldn't have accepted to help me in this. I told him I would show the videos after Monokuma votes me guilty, but being executed was my intention since the very beginning."

"Now does that mean Ryoma's death was useless? Absolutely not. This plan wouldn't have been a success without his sacrifice."

"I do wish he didn't have to die this way, but the end justifies the means, as they all say."

"Although, I'm getting off-topic here."

"..."

"Hey, mastermind."

"Do you see it now?"

"You failed, and I won."

"We both did this little game of play pretend for three weeks and you lost."

"Admit your defeat. There's no point in continuing because everyone has already realized by now how pathetic this shitshow really is."

"And even if you don't immediately give up, everything will end soon enough."

"..."

"... Well, I do have one last thing I want to say to you, asshole."

Rantaro smiled and raised the middle finger.

_"Get fucked, mastermind."_

...

-

...

Shuichi couldn't believe his eyes.

Rantaro... He had _won_.

He was exactly where he wanted to be.

In the afterlife after dying as a martyr.

Everything he supposedly felt was nothing but an act to manipulate Monokuma. Lies that had fooled them all, including the mastermind.

This meant that when the investigation had just started, now hours ago, when they looked at the information the bear had given them to investigate...

_... The game was already over._

Shuichi couldn't even comprehend how insane this was.

Out of all the things Rantaro could have done to try to defeat Monokuma, this was the last thing he expected him to do... And yet he felt like he should have.

He could somehow hear the deranged laugh of the medic in the back of his head, mocking them all from the world of the dead.

Mocking Monokuma for his mistakes... And perhaps laughing at the absurdity of his own life too.

A man filled with illusory memories, perishing from a meaningless death.

There was not even a single bit of dignity left of him. His whole honor had been shattered to pieces by this killing game.

...

The violinist thought about the conversation they had in the morning.

_"I won't be able to die in peace until I'm absolutely sure this game is over."_

The way he smiled as he was dying, leaning against the bridge pole with nothing but ashes in his lungs and blood flowing out of his shoulder...

He died satisfied.

He died in peace, knowing his plan was a brilliant success.

An ending that was a tragedy to them, but a blessing to him.

Rantaro... He was really...

_... A mastermind of his own._

\--

_"..."_

_"Rantaro, you filthy bastard."_

_"You actually won."_

_"I should have known what I was getting into when I made this decision back then."_

_"A move that I now realize cost me my place of 'ultimate mastermind', but a move I do not regret in the slightest."_

_"You were a wonderful adversary. I am glad I got to fight you in this nonsensical game, although there are a lot of things I do regret. And I do wish you were here for the final trial."_

_"..."_

_"I was wrong to underestimate you."_

_"This whole madness..."_

_"That's why you started the act, isn't it?"_

_"To make me lower my guard and think you were not as much of a threat as I thought you would be."_

_"At first I didn't believe your bullshit thanks to Kiyo. However, the more this game went on, the more I realized you were slowly drowning in your own despair."_

_"But I made the mistake of thinking you wouldn't be a worthy opponent in those conditions, and thus you managed to pull out a plan even greater than anything I've ever done in this game."_

_"Congratulations, Rantaro."_

_"I admit defeat."_

_"You're observing me from the afterlife, aren't you? In that case..."_

_"Watch."_

_"Consider this a promise, or a gift."_

_"I will finish what you started."_

_"I am going to put an end to all of this."_

_"..."_

_"Oh well..."_

_"You already made sure this game would end since the very beginning of your crazy plan, didn't you?"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHO'S PULLING THE STRINGS NOW, BITCH
> 
> Oh boy. Chapter 5 was... long, to say the least. Sheesh, I've spent 4 months writing it! But finally, I can put an end to this chapter. Idk if I'll take a break after that or not. Maybe, maybe not.
> 
> This is going to be a long ride anyway.  
> Also happy 200k words lol


	47. Chapter 6: My killing game, our killing game (part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The truth is out. Rantaro's goal was deeper and darker than they all thought. A twisted wish to end his life, done by deceiving his most trusted friend. He may have won, but... was this worth it?

_..._

_A young boy wanders in the cafeteria, a rather tasty-looking meal on his plate._

_He spots the two other people present and approaches them._

_"C-Can I sit here?"_

_The girl was mindlessly picking the vegetables on her plate with a fork, head resting in her palm. "Suit yourself."_

_The silence immediately settled back._

_It's not like there was anything to say. What was the point of talking anyway?_

_... He doesn't know how much time passed before he heard the sound of footsteps behind him._

_The person didn't even ask before sitting next to them._

_He had seen him back_ then _, so his face was not so unfamiliar._

_The other guy stared at him curiously, then raised his head._

_"... I feel like I've seen you somewhere before." he said. "Not that it really matters anymore."_

_The new guy rolled his eyes. "Yes, I killed someone a year ago and my face was plastered on every single newspaper for two weeks. Big deal."_

_The girl raised an eyebrow. "Shouldn't you be... you know... in prison?"_

_"It was a pain making my way out here, but I'm used to orchestrating mastermind-ish plans. It's a must-have in this world."_

_"I see..."_

_Leaning back into his chair, the supposed murderer glanced at the other side of the cafeteria, where two other people were discussing, far away from them. A rather frail-looking boy and a strong-looking young woman. He narrowed his eyes at them, like a predator analyzing its prey._

_But the silence was rather cut short as the sound of a breaking plate was heard, accompanied by a person stumbling on the ground, now covered in food._

_A man was standing next to the victim, clearly the one responsible for the incident. "Watch where you're going, skeleton."_

_The smaller girl looked like she wanted to cry, trying to retrieve what she could with difficulty._

_He swore he saw a smirk forming on the killer's face before turning back to look at the scene. "Hey, jackass. Try to get a better adversary next time, would you? You look pathetic bullying someone half your size, just saying."_

_"What did you say?!"_

_"How about you try and fight mademoiselle over here instead?" he glanced at the tall woman in the back. "Unless you're scared of getting your ass handed to you by a girl."_

_"I'll fucking show you-!"_

_"ENOUGH!!"_

_Everyone turned to the source of the voice._

_Just their presence was enough to make everyone on edge, but their wrath was feared by all. Like a god among men, a single misstep around them was enough to put your life and dignity on the line._

_And they were not here to play poker._

_"You two better not cause any more trouble. I could snap my fingers and you two would become cannon fodder for_ them _. You wouldn't want that for yourself, would you?"_

_The two's gazes met. The tall man's eyes were full of rage, but the other was not letting any emotion slip out. Perhaps one could see annoyance with a hint of pride, if they were perceptive enough._

_But both knew their place. It was wiser not to respond._

_"... That's what I thought. Because you are here does not mean you are safe yet, remember that."_

_Silence settled back in the cafeteria, but the dread did not fade away._

_But they were here now, and there was no going back._

_Not now, not ever._

_..._

\--

...

The stars were illuminating the night sky as always, giving the academy a semblance of light in the darkness.

Although that is only a lie Shuichi told himself to feel more human, even though he would never admit it out loud.

An artificial sky looming over an academy of students with fake memories and pasts.

His sense of reality was decaying over time. If he really took a moment to think for himself, he would probably feel his mind falling apart. Nothing but a structure of lies that unconsciously kept him sane, slowly crumbling into ruins.

After watching Rantaro's video and learning the truth about his intentions and his wretched success, they had left the building.

Miu stopped in her tracks. Her eyes wide, she had been staring at the ground the entire time.

"This is... This is so wrong..." she muttered.

Kaito put a hand on her shoulder. "At least... He succeeded in his own way."

The young woman immediately jerked away. "Succeeded?! Rantaro _died_! He killed himself and Ryoma for his plan and you're telling me he _succeeded_?!"

"I never said the way he did so wasn't completely fucked up!!" Kaito yelled back. "Hell, I don't even know why he considers it a success in the first place, I'm just quoting him!"

Shuichi didn't have the courage to look at them in the eyes, but spoke anyway. "He said it would kill Monokuma's will to continue the game, but... Is this really true?"

"Who the fuck cares about that?!" tears formed in Miu's eyes. "Why did he think that killing himself was something that would truly end the game?!"

Kokichi didn't even try to say anything. He could only stare at the argument.

"We don't know what Monokuma is planning to do now, he could put us through another time limit for all we know!!" Miu continued rambling. "Monokuma wants to make us suffer no matter what, why did he think he would stop after that?!"

"I don't fucking know!!" Kaito could only try to keep up. It's not like the others could. "I don't know what went through Rantaro's head nor what led him to believe that this would be a brilliant plan!"

"I don't think trying to understand his thought process would lead us somewhere."

Shuichi jumped at the voice.

Kirumi was staring at the ground. She looked... distressed.

"He was too far gone. There's something in his eyes that felt unnatural."

"Something, dare I say... not even human. I cannot describe it, but it's not an emotion you would ever want to see in someone."

The violinist felt his heart sting. He had seen it, too. The two were the ones who witnessed the most of him. Not the facade of the leader who fought no matter what, but the vulnerable him. The _real_ him.

But Miu lost even more of her temper than she already had. She approached Kirumi and grabbed her by the strands of her corset. "Rantaro was our _friend_!! And you're saying he doesn't even deserve to be called 'human'?!"

Shuichi tried to step in. "That's not what she meant! Miu, please! We're all-

"Am I the only one who even remotely cared about him?!"

She slammed a hand to her chest. Her voice was cracking, and tears were now yet again flowing from her eyes.

"You're all yelling about how there was no hope in Rantaro, that he wasn't even human in your eyes!! You're all claiming to like him but can't even show him respect after he's dead!!"

_"How did I even bring myself to befriend any of you monsters?!"_

Shuichi felt himself stiffen.

There's a part of him that knew Miu meant her words.

He quickly realized he was not the only one who froze.

Everyone was silently staring at her.

The artist stared back, slowly realizing what she had just said. She slammed her hands on her mouth. "I..."

"It's fine."

Shuichi immediately looked at Kokichi.

"You don't need to say anything. I... I know I must have said way worse back _then_."

She glanced away. "You... You were just grieving."

"And so are you!" he exclaimed. "You said it to me back in my lab! We all should take the time to grieve! Why would you be an exception to this?!"

She stared at him with dumbfounded eyes.

“Please... I don’t want you to lament in despair like I did and I... I don’t want you to go through the pain I experienced.” Kokichi muttered.

“I don’t want anyone else to go through this ever again.”

His voice was low, like each of his words was difficult to speak out.

Her eyes met the ground, hoping to hide her tears just a little.

"Miu..."

Kaito took a step forward. "We've all been assholes to each other at some point or another, and me more than anyone else."

“Perhaps I’m just projecting, but... I know you had faith in me when I was at my worst, so it’s only fair I have faith in you when you are at _your_ worst.”

The young woman sniffled. "I'm sorry, it’s just... Rantaro isn't..."

"No. Rantaro was not a monster." Kirumi spoke, eyes closed. "What I do believe is that the game had much more impact on him than he let us know. Things he hid from us for our sake. This closure must have led him to believe he had to go to extremes to help us, and thus orchestrated this... ‘case’, if we can even call it that way."

"We should have been more careful about him. But now is too late to lament ourselves over our mistakes."

"I should have worded my thoughts differently, I apologize."

Shuichi felt his heart calm down, for some reason.

Kokichi nodded. "That's... the impression he gave to me, too..."

He could only agree.

Kaito continued looking at his friend, who seemed lost in thoughts. "Maybe we should settle for the night? We might be in a better state to-

"No." Miu raised her head. "We're not sitting here doing nothing."

The violinist's eyes widened. "Are you... planning on doing something?"

"Rantaro's goal was to end the game. And the only way to honor him is to put an end to this right here, right now."

"Tonight we discover the last truths of the killing game. We investigate about Keebo's death, what really happened to us and we expose the-

Miu was cut short by the sound of an explosion right above their heads- It was coming from the building itself.

"W-What's going on?!" Kokichi exclaimed.

"I don't know but we need to get out of here!" the girl yelled.

The group immediately started fleeing.

"I can't run for shit, idiots!" Kaito shouted.

Shuichi looked back. "Guys! We gotta help Kaito!"

Kirumi stared at him for a moment, then sighed. She wrapped one of her arms around his back as support and the two followed the rest of the group.

After getting to the dorms, they turned back to the main building, witnessing the destruction caused by an unknown force.

It seemed as though an exisal -the blue one from what he was seeing- started getting involved in the chaos, but...

"Why is everything exploding?!" Shuichi exclaimed. "Monokuma wouldn't do this, right? So who is destroying the building? Who is piloting the exisal?!"

There were only one of the deadly machines. Monokuma could be the one piloting it, but that didn't explain why he would do so.

"If Monokuma is using an exisal to stop the chaos, then... Who is destroying the building?" Kokichi asked.

They all turned to him.

The bear would not create that scene by himself. So who?

They were all here. It wasn't any of the five survivors.

But before they could ponder more, another exisal showed up. _The green one._

The two mechas faced each other, and not even ten seconds later, the blue exisal was tossed across the courtyard.

They could only watch the scene unfold, bewildered by the sudden appearance of the machines.

Who? Who was fighting?

He glanced at Kirumi, who seemed to wonder the same.

But she suddenly perked up, becoming as pale as the fake moon above their heads.

He turned to her. "What is it?! Do you know who is in here?!"

The others faced her as well.

She stayed silent for a moment.

"... Where is Monodam?"

Shuichi blinked. "What- Monodam? But he's dead! Ryoma killed him!"

"Have any of you seen his dead body?"

The violinist's eyes widened. "Huh?"

"This is the number one rule any assassin or mercenary must follow, no matter what."

_"If there is no dead body, there is no victim."_

"So where is Monodam?"

Kokichi shook his head. "Are you suggesting he is alive?"

"Can you tell for sure he was dismantled by Ryoma? Have you seen his carcass in pieces?"

Miu frowned. "Didn't Rantaro say he took him apart?"

"Do you still believe anything Rantaro says when it comes to the plan in which he managed to deceive everyone, including Monokuma and his own partner?"

... She froze.

Shuichi looked at the green exisal that was approaching them.

The machine stopped, then bent down.

The top of the exisal opened. _Something_ jumped and flawlessly landed on the ground.

_A tiny dichromatic bear._

But...

Something wasn't right.

It wasn't the white and green bear they all expected to see.

Whatever was standing before them did have its right side white, but the left side was painted in a dark grey-blue color. Its hands were no more, replaced by small black and bright blue canons, and the pacifier had the same colors as them. Small blue pins were attached to its mechanical limbs, with tiny cables entering the body.

The belly, instead of being plain white, had a particular pattern on it. Two dark scissor blades surrounded by even more thin cables.

_A symbol that was all too familiar to them now._

But what stood out the most was its right eye. It was hard to tell what even was stuck on it. The piece had been attached here artificially, cables going around the head to keep it in place.

The blue parts were slightly glowing, somehow giving an eery feeling to the robot.

The new bear took a few steps forward.

They could only stare at him with wide eyes. What was he even going to do?

"5-OUT-OF-6. SOMEONE-IS-MISSING."

Missing? Everyone was here, though...

The bear made a strange noise as the others glanced at each other.

"MISSING-PERSON: RANTARO-AMAMI. PLAYING-'INTRODUCTION'."

His eye started glowing green, and 'Monodam' started talking again.

"Hey."

They all recognized that voice instantly.

_Ryoma...?_

The man sighed. "I really didn't want to record this part. But I had to keep in mind the possibility that this plan would fail. That Rantaro would get executed."

If only he knew...

"If you haven't guessed it already, no, I didn't kill Monodam. The hacking gun only knocked him out. All I did was repair and modify him to act as I wanted. It was tough, but manageable. What you're looking at is the project I have worked on for the past two days."

"Meet Monoshi. An upgraded version of Monodam specifically made to end the game after the trial, whether both of us died or just me. But if this introduction is playing, then that means things didn't go as planned."

"Have you guys watched the videos about Monodam's faked death and my real cause of death?"

The light in his right eye changed to a bright yellow. Was he waiting for them to answer?

"Yes, we did..." Shuichi replied.

"PLAYING-'INTRODUCTION-3'." the bear spoke again, his eye gaining back its green color.

"Good. Then you must have realized this trial was incredibly unfair for the both of us. But I'm not here to talk about that. Pretty sure Rantaro did that already, and if he missed any details, I have noted the important stuff in my lab for you guys just in case."

"As Tsumugi said in her notebook, you guys _have_ to investigate Keebo's death. Now is the perfect opportunity to put an end to this game once and for all."

'Monoshi' approached Kaito and extended its hand to him. The mechanism opened to reveal a green key.

"Kaito. I heard from Rantaro that you wanted to pilot the exisals." he said as the biker's eyes widened. "I am giving you the key to the green one. I don't think it should be that hard to control considering those fingerless bears are able to do so. Do your best."

"Monoshi will take care of opening secret passages and entrances that are not accessible right now. Monodam knew what places are left to visit, so Monoshi does as well. Although for that, bombs will be used so make sure to get out of the way when needed."

"Kaito, you and Monoshi will have to keep Monokuma busy long enough for the others to complete the investigation."

_The bombs..._

Shuichi felt like he should have expected that, for some reason.

The robot turned to the blonde woman. "Miu."

"To be honest, I cannot exactly pinpoint why, but Rantaro seemed to trust you more than anyone else if we exclude me. He asked me to give you the task to lead the group for the investigation in case things didn't work out for him."

The street artist jumped.

"Huh?" she muttered, surprised by his words. But the robot didn't seem to register that.

"In short- Monoshi will unlock the secret entrances, he and Kaito will distract Monokuma and the rest of you will investigate everything you possibly can."

Shuichi nodded.

But his heart suddenly stopped when he heard a crash from behind them.

Monokuma came back with not one, but the four other exisals.

"My, my! My sweet Monodam, already an angsty teenager going through a rebellious phase... But to want to kill your own father? Puhuhu! That is not something I expected from the most tender and affectionate kid of mine!"

"But you see, with the joy of modern technology, your wonderful brothers and sisters could cross the boundary of life and death once again and come back to our marvelous and colorful world!"

"Do you seriously think you could steal *my* exisals for *your* goals? Puhuhu! These two _had_ a great sense of humor!"

Monoshi's eye turned blue for a moment.

"VOICE-RECOGNIZED: MONOKUMA. PLAYING-'GREETINGS'."

As the eye turned green, the modified robot spoke again.

"Hey there. Knew you were going to try and stop this. But do you seriously think you're gonna win?"

"Rantaro and I have prepared a lot more than you could possibly imagine. You and this entire academy are going down whether you like it or not."

Monokuma laughed. "Puhuhu! I must admit I am impressed! To trick me into thinking my precious monokub was dead when in reality, he was rebelling against me? Such despair!"

"But you're forgetting that *I* am the headmaster of the academy and the one managing the killing game!"

"This little tamper tantrum is over!"

...

Monoshi stayed silent for what felt like an eternity. And then-

_His eye glowed red._

"HOSTILITY-RECOGNIZED. PROCEED-TO-EXTERMINATION."

"What-

The bear pointed his canon at Monokuma and immediately started firing. Their captor dodged, but the group now had to get out of this conflict and _fast_ if they didn't want to die because of collateral damage.

The exisals started shooting missiles at Monoshi as well, but he was just as agile. Their battle quickly moved away from them, the bears chasing each other in the courtyard. The scene looked unreal.

"Now's our chance!" Miu exclaimed. "Kaito! You think you can pilot the exisal?"

The biker smirked. "I've been waiting for this. But before that, you guys stay safe, alright? I know you can do this. Go and investigate without me, I'll only slow you down."

Shuichi nodded. "Count on us, Kaito!"

"Also..."

He approached Miu, and suddenly held her in his arms. The girl was surprised, but she did not push him away. After a few seconds, he took a step back and put his hands on her shoulders. "I know you can lead this group to our freedom. I better see you alive at the end. Alright?"

"I better see _you_ alive at the end! But I promise."

She turned to the rest of them.

"Let's end this everyone! Tonight, we're ending this killing game once and for all!"

The tone in her voice warmed his heart. This strength, this emotion... He had seen it before.

It was reminiscent of the old Rantaro they had known at the beginning of the game.

_A great leader guiding them to victory._

Kaito climbed into the exisal, using the key Monoshi had given him.

The mecha stood up.

"LET'S FUCKING GO!!"

The machine jumped towards the fight between the robotic bears.

This was it.

Their chance to fight back and win.

[The investigation they all had been waiting to do finally started.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Js6aiyKjvIA)

...

Kokichi spoke up. "How do we even start?"

Miu hummed. "Kirumi, no offense but you're the one who should know the most about how to get away with murder... How would you proceed to cover the evidence?"

"None taken." The woman pondered. "But investigating Keebo's death will be extremely difficult, and it is not the only thing we need to investigate. Monoshi talked about secret rooms as well."

"We need to know _everything_ about this killing game."

"Good point." the artist replied. "Keebo's death was long ago and essential evidence might have disappeared since then."

She was right. The killer- the mastermind must have cleaned up after themselves. Was it even possible to solve this case now?

"For now, Kaito and Monoshi are keeping the monokubs busy, so the rooms might be opened later. We should focus on what we can investigate." Kirumi continued.

"How about groups of two? We might be able to cover more ground this way." Shuichi suggested.

"I already know I am headed to the fifth floor for Ryoma's notes, so whoever comes with me, please make up your mind fast." the mercenary raised a hand.

"Can I leave this to you, Shuichi?" Miu asked. "Kokichi and I will go to the exisal hangar to see if we can recover anything."

The violinist nodded. "Sounds good!" he turned to Kirumi. "Shall we go?"

The groups separated. His partner was fast, but she often checked to see if he was following.

And true to her words, the duo went to the fifth floor. _To Ryoma's lab._

The doors had been destroyed, supposedly by Monoshi when he made his way out.

"Do you think there is something else we can get here?" Shuichi asked.

She entered the lab. "That's what we'll find out. I wouldn't be surprised if they somehow had another trick in their sleeves, even though both of them are dead now."

It was hard not to be impressed by their genius. Kiyo and Tsumugi might have tried to help from beyond the grave with their notebooks, but Ryoma and Rantaro were on a whole other level, and are still actively helping them.

Some boxes looked intact, but some had been completely destroyed and seemed to have exploded from the inside. The two started walking towards the back of the lab, but before they could do so, they noticed a box that stood out from the rest.

It was burned in the shape of an X, and judging from the way it looked, someone had done that on purpose.

However, it was easy to tell who did the damage.

Kirumi didn't wait and immediately climbed on the box. Monoshi, or rather Ryoma must have wanted them to find what was inside. Perhaps it was the notebook?

"The lock was destroyed. I'll see what I can find in there." she said.

"Alright..." Shuichi muttered. Out of nervousness, he kept going through the lab to see if anything else was worth investigating.

He did notice another box that was partially exploded, with nothing interesting inside. The lock didn't seem to have been destroyed, though.

_Was this the box Monoshi was kept in?_

The back of the lab, despite what Shuichi first thought, hadn't changed at all. Everything was the same as it was during their last visit earlier.

"I found the notebook."

The violinist jumped at Kirumi's sudden appearance. "Really?"

The two approached the source of light.

"Did you find anything else?" she asked as she opened the book.

He shook his head. "I mean, I found the box Monoshi might have been kept in, but nothing worth our attention."

Kirumi hummed as she read the first page. "... This indeed seems to be a recap of everything they have discovered. The summary states that this was made in case Rantaro didn't have time to tell us everything, just like Monoshi said."

"I see..." Shuichi muttered. They took a considerable amount of precautions- although the two were never on the same page in the first place.

"The flashback lights, the cameras, ending the killing game... Hm?"

Shuichi blinked. "What is it?"

"There is a chapter called 'The mastermind's goals.' I don't think Rantaro explained anything about this."

"Let me see!"

Kirumi put the book on the workspace.

\--

_Entry n°4_

_Don't expect me to know about the reasons why this game was created, I don't know. Neither of us do and it's for you guys to find out. At first, we did ask ourselves why, but it became clear pretty quickly that the 'why' was unimportant._

_This is about the motives given to us. We didn't think much about that compared to other stuff so don't expect clear explanations. Those are just Rantaro and I's theories so take this with a grain of salt._

_The first motive: the time limit and the first blood perk, were obviously to start the game by all means necessary. I don't know what else to say. Easy way to start things with someone obviously falling for this shit. Fantastic._

_The second, we're not sure. That might have been to expose some of our secrets, like Kirumi's talent. The tablets were obviously switched intentionally. There's no way the only two tablets that didn't reach their owners coincidentally happened to be those of the one who hid her talent and someone who was likely to watch their video. In other words, it was to reveal stuff that we would have never guessed if not for Monokuma's 'help'.  
The accomplice perk was made to turn our cooperation against us. To dissuade us to work together, make sure we all become paranoid and break us mentally. Not difficult to understand._

_The third is incomprehensible to me. By that, I mean the 'how'. Why would I turn into a coward? I don't know if I was kidnapped again or some shit, but whoever was with them wasn't me. But anyway, the mastermind obviously wanted to eliminate temporarily the smart people (Tsumugi, Rantaro and I) to do their little scheme in peace, which was Keebo's murder._

_The fourth may have been to expose our last secrets like Kaito's leg, Kokichi's trauma, Kirumi's condition, and as Rantaro said, manipulate Kiyo into killing Tsumugi by putting more and more pressure on him._

_The fifth motive doesn't make any damn sense. I know he blackmailed Kiyo to make the trial last longer to extend a new time limit, but he could have ditched it after his death for despair or some other stupid excuse. Although with the circumstances,_ _I can see why he would put a second time limit. But offering equipment to explore the outside world? He could have shut his mouth and nothing would have changed. Fucking idiot. He should know better by now._

_Anyway, this is the least important part and the one we're the less certain about, but those were the most solid theories we had._

\--

Shuichi blinked, clearly not expecting the tone in the soldier's writing. "That's... Interesting..."

However, he quickly noticed something. "Wait, you told Ryoma about your condition?"

She shook her head. "I didn't. But I believe Rantaro must have told him."

"What is done, is done. Everyone knows now, and I do not think it is useful to hide it anymore."

Those two exchanged everything they knew, so it was not surprising, actually.

The woman sighed. "A part of me thought that the 'tablet switch mistake' for the second motive was intentional, but I see that I was not the only one who got to this conclusion."

He winced.

"Although what makes me worried is the third motive." she said. "Kidnapped and replaced by some sort of clone temporarily?"

He hummed. "But... Ryoma said he wasn't sure... Can we really trust this?"

After a short pause, Kirumi closed the book. "Probably not. But we should keep this in mind."

**Obtained truth bullet! Killing game motives**

"Is there anything else worth reading in this?" Shuichi asked.

His partner reopened the book, and that's when the two noticed the last part of the summary. 

_1\. Flashback lights_   
_2\. Cameras_   
_3\. Ending the killing game_   
_4\. The mastermind's goals_   
_5\. Monoshi_   
_6\. Stuff_

"Stuff?" Shuichi frowned. "That sounds odd..."

Kirumi quickly turned the pages.

\--

_Entry n°6_

_I don't care if the person reading this is Rantaro or not. I'll be dead by the time anyone finds this anyway, and perhaps you are now dead too, boss. So I'm just going to assume someone else is reading._

_I don't know why, but it feels like Rantaro is still hiding things. That he never shared certain details with me. I always told him everything I knew, I grew to know him and his habits more than anyone else here. I always somehow managed to get him to speak to me truthfully up until... I would say the 4th trial._

_Ever since then, things have changed, somehow. He's been suggesting solid theories more than ever, but at the same time, he seems to be hiding even more information from me._

_There is something he knows that I don't. I never got him to speak the truth and it's frustrating as hell._

_We're supposed to be damn soldiers, the smartest and the strongest of the group, and our job is to help everyone escape. Why is he withholding information from me?_

_In any case, I'm extremely worried. I will keep the stoic face because it's easier for me to manage, but at this point I know I cannot do anything anymore and I have accepted it._ _It's probably too late now, but I wanted to write this somewhere. One could count this as venting, I guess._

_Good luck in ending the game, I hope you guys will make it out alive, for our sake._

_Sincerely,  
Ryoma Hoshi._

\--

Shuichi glanced away from the book. "Do you think... He knew Rantaro had planned to die from the beginning?"

Kirumi stared at the text. "I don't think so."

She closed the notebook and gave it to him. "I am more inclined to think he told Ryoma just the right amount of information for him to cooperate with his plan without any sort of hesitation. He didn't tell him things that could hurt his feelings and make him unwilling to act, or realize the mission could be pointless."

The violinist winced. "That's kind of harsh, don't you think? Rantaro... I understand he might have hidden things from Ryoma but... He wasn't a heartless manipulator, was he?"

The mercenary stayed silent for a moment.

"What would you have done in Ryoma's position if you knew nothing was real?"

He paused. That was not a question he expected to hear.

"If you knew your entire life didn't matter, that everything you had done up until now was nothing but meaningless lies, would you have accepted to sacrifice your life for everyone?"

"I-I..." Shuichi stuttered. How could he even answer that?

"Both Ryoma and Rantaro were devoted soldiers. Even after discovering all of his memories could have been faked, Rantaro continued. He went through this plan and sacrificed himself and Ryoma for us. But what about Ryoma? Would he have followed him, knowing this sacrifice could be pointless, or just not for him to do?"

...

Shuichi stared at the ground. "This is..." he looked up to the young woman, hoping to find answers. "W-What do you mean?"

The silence as Kirumi seemed to be choosing her words was almost eerie.

"... This dilemma is what I have supposedly been living for a long time. I didn't have the full details of my missions. Perhaps the target was a good person, but I was told they were vile and needed to be eliminated. The less you are told, the less likely you are to rebel or regret your actions afterwards."

"So you obey, murder, and move onto the next target without asking yourself any questions."

She turned her back, facing the exit.

"With what Rantaro told us after the vote, those philosophies are starting to lose meaning. Perhaps it is time for me to reconstruct my beliefs, and find out who I really am."

"I should be glad there is a possibility I am not the killer of numerous innocents, but somehow, I am not."

"The unknown has always been humanity's greatest fear, as they say."

Without another word, she slowly made her way towards the entrance.

Shuichi could only stare.

... Perhaps it was indeed the time to start questioning what he truly believes in.

**Obtained truth bullet! Unknown memories**

The two left the lab since there was nothing else to see.

But the moment they stepped on the stairs, the building started trembling, like something was happening above the fifth floor.

"What's going on?!" Shuichi turned to Kirumi.

"It looks like either the rooftop or Himiko's lab has been damaged. We need to go now."

The two ran as fast as they could.

They reached the first floor and spotted Miu and Kokichi.

"Monoshi has opened something in Himiko's lab!" Miu exclaimed. "I don't know what it is, but that's what he told us before going back to help Kaito."

"But we also need to investigate the rest of the building for evidence about Keebo's case..." Kokichi said.

"Then Kokichi and I will investigate the building itself while you two go to the lab." Kirumi suggested.

"There's no time to waste! Shuichi, let's go!" the street artist immediately made her way to the black and white door, the violinist following her.

He had forgotten how long those stairs were, but this wasn't the time to complain.

The star-patterned door opened, and the two immediately spotted two gaping holes in the lab. One giving a direct view of the fight between Kaito and the bears in the courtyard, and another leading into a strange white room in the back of the lab.

They entered and saw sixteen cabins attached to powerful-looking machines.

"What the hell are these?!" Miu approached one of them. "And why do they feel... familiar?"

She stepped inside. Only one person could fit in these. But before she knew it, the thing shut, trapping her in. "Hey! Let me out!"

Shuichi panicked. "Miu!"

He inspected the machine, but it seemed nothing was of use. His eyes darted on all sides of the room and then found a red button in the back.

**_Emergency shutdown system_ **   
_Do not press if the person inside is not in immediate danger._

The violinist did not think and immediately slammed the button.

The cabin Miu was in immediately opened, letting out some steam.

The girl stumbled out of it, a hand on her forehead. "Ugh..."

Shuichi went by her side to support her. "Are you okay?"

She rubbed her eyes. "I... I don't know, but..."

"I remember."

Shuichi's eyes widened. "Remember what?"

She glanced around the room. "We were here... We were trapped in those... I don't know for how much time but we were here at some point..."

He frowned. "For the Gofer project?"

"Yes! But... Is it, really? Rantaro and Ryoma confirmed the Gofer project was a lie, so... Why?"

Vague memories resurfaced in Shuichi's mind. He had been in this room, once. But now he wasn't so sure.

Were other people with him? Familiar faces?

Nothing was clear, and all the memories felt like they were drowned in a sea of white noise.

"I mean, I do remember being here and... I think I do remember seeing you guys but everything is so fuzzy..." she said, before gripping her head. "Ugh. My head hurts."

**Obtained truth bullet! Familiar cabins**

Shuichi narrowed his eyes. "Perhaps we should think about it later... There are so many places we need to explore."

He glanced at the file on the table near them. "Perhaps this could help us?"

The two approached the papers and started reading them.

It seemed to be some sort of summary.

_ Gofer Project Participant List _

_\- Akamatsu Kaede_   
_\- Amami Rantaro_   
_\- Chabashira Tenko_   
_\- Gokuhara Gonta_   
_\- Harukawa Maki_   
_\- Hoshi Ryoma_   
_\- Idabashi Tatsuya_   
_\- Iruma Miu_   
_\- Momota Kaito_   
_\- Ouma Kokichi_   
_\- Saihara Shuichi_   
_\- Shinguji Korekiyo_   
_\- Shirogane Tsumugi_   
_\- Tojo Kirumi  
\- Yonaga Angie_   
_\- Yumeno Himiko_

Miu frowned. "Who the fuck is Tatsuya Idabashi?!"

Shuichi was just as confused. "And why isn't Keebo on this list? He was one of us!"

The two glanced at each other, trying to apprehend what was in front of them.

"... And here I thought we were looking for answers."

"Now we just have more questions."

"Great."

**Obtained truth bullet! Gofer project participant list**

Miu paused for a moment. "Hold on."

Shuichi pondered as well. The list looked a bit too odd for his liking.

The girl stared at the unknown name for a moment. "Do you think... This guy is the person we're looking for?"

_"You know, the mastermind?"_

Shuichi jumped. They had theorized the mastermind was not actually someone in the survivor group because Kiyo had not been suspicious of any of them, no matter how much he studied them.

That added to the fact that Kokichi's karma never seemed to have hit them despite all of the horrible things they had done.

But somehow, this felt... wrong.

Even after all this time, he was still praying that the mastermind was not any of his friends. And yet when an unknown name magically shows up and could solve all of his problems, he couldn't bring himself to assume the worst of them.

"I don't think we should automatically assume that... We don't even know who he is."

"But think about it, Shuichi!" Miu exclaimed. "Someone who didn't participate in the killing game with us, who is probably hiding somewhere in the academy! Someone we've never heard of before now, that's him for sure!"

"We don't know that yet! Monokuma could have just added that name on the list to throw us off for all we know!"

Miu paused. "That's..." she frowned, pondering to herself for a moment. "... not actually impossible."

She flipped the pages to see the mysterious person.

A black and white picture was provided, but they did not recognize this face.

The boy had little to no hair and looked rather scrawny and weak. He almost looked younger than them.

\--

_Tatsuya Idabashi - Ultimate robotics engineer_

**Day of birth:** 29/10  
 **Gender:** Male

 **Height:** 168 cm  
 **Weight:** 55kg  
 **Blood type:** O

 **Family:** None

 **Value:** Essential  
 **Role:** Ensuring the safety of the structure itself by doing regular check-ups, as well as educating the rest of the group about his skills to ensure a safer journey. Will also be maintaining the exisals in check.

 **Status:** Dead

\--

Shuichi stared at the profile with concern. "What? He's... dead?"

Miu shook her head. "I don't even know what I expected, but dead...?"

He hummed. "If this profile was made before the game, then there's no way he is the mastermind..."

"Didn't you say we couldn't trust anything Monokuma gives us like two minutes ago?"

Fair.

"But still... I don't think this profile comes out of nowhere."

Miu sighed. "We better find new info because whoever the fuck this guy is, I do not trust him."

He didn't either, but it was too early to assume things.

**Obtained truth bullet! Tatsuya Idabashi**

They looked around the room, but nothing else was worth inspecting.

"Let's not waste any more time here, the others need us to investigate the rest of the academy." Miu started making her way out.

After going down the stairs -which was still a long way- they walked to the second floor. They quickly met Kirumi and Kokichi investigating the labs as much as they could.

"So? Anything new?" Kirumi asked.

"It's very weird, not gonna lie." Miu replied, blinking. "But for now we should keep investigating, I don't know how much longer Kaito and Monoshi will be able to hold back Monokuma and the monokubs."

Shuichi nodded. "How about you guys?"

"Check your monopads. Kokichi and I managed to unlock the previous files and clues we got from the third investigation, although it's not much." Kirumi explained.

"Sweet!" Miu smiled, taking out the tablet.

And true to their words, the file was available, and it looked exactly the same as the one they had back then.

_Monokuma file #3 -updated-_

  * The second victim is Keebo, the ultimate ???
  * The body was discovered in the entrance hall.
  * The estimated time of death is 8:00 AM.
  * The cause of death is unknown.
  * No injuries were noted in the victim’s body.



**Obtained truth bullet! Monokuma file #3**

"We're trying to find new clues, but... For now, we got next to nothing..." Kokichi muttered.

Shuichi hummed. "Maybe we should switch partners? Perhaps we'll get a fresh view of the case."

Miu clicked her tongue. "Gotcha." she turned to the mercenary. "Kirumi? Wanna continue with me?"

She nodded. "Of course. Let's go."

The two girls confidently headed further into the corridors. Somehow Shuichi could sense a powerful aura coming from these two.

"So... Where are _we_ headed?" Kokichi took him out of his thoughts.

Shuichi put a finger on his chin, humming. "Where did you guys investigate?"

"Mainly the first and second floor... We might need to cover the basement, though."

He nodded. "Then let's go!"

The duo headed back to the first floor, but immediately after stepping in the main entrance, they stopped in their tracks.

One of the machines outside shot the main door and provoked a large explosion right in front of their faces.

The two coughed as the smoke dissipated. They noticed Monoshi, standing right outside the door, a cannon aimed at the floor.

That's only then that they realized there was a large hole almost right in front of their feet.

Shuichi approached the damage and realized there were stairs leading underground. "What on earth...?"

Monoshi stared at them with his glowing mechanical blue eye. "SECRET-ENTRANCE-UNLOCKED: UNDERGROUND-PASSAGEWAY. ONE-SECRET-ENTRANCE-REMAINING."

The bear immediately stormed off.

Kokichi and Shuichi stared at each other before looking down. "Is this where we're headed now?"

The corridor looked devoid of light, the darkness of the night not helping at all. He could see iron grids and cables, which gave him the impression that this was made as a last-minute addition.

The violinist took a step forward. "We have no choice. There must be answers waiting for us down here."

Kokichi nodded.

The two boys headed down. Hopefully, they would find the solutions to the problems that the investigation itself made them aware of, as well as the truth of Keebo's death.

_"It's our goal to seek the truth and we have no time to waste."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's back? I'm really sorry for the long wait, exams were like,,, hard,,,,
> 
> Yes, you may ask questions. No, I will not answer them.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading this! A comment is always appreciated! Whether it's a theory, your thoughts, or anything else.


End file.
